


Life and Love Finds a Way

by GuiltyPleasureIsMyPleasure



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Apocalypse, Bonding, Bottom Louis, Death, Domestic Fluff, Feminine Louis Tomlinson, Feminization, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Harry calls Louis' dick a clit a few times, I'm not great at tagging, Kissing, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Omega Louis Tomlinson, Oops, Oral Sex, Police Officer Harry, Post-Apocalypse, Pregnant Louis Tomlinson, Rimming, Rugged Harry, Scent Marking, Scenting, Self-Lubrication, Sick Character, Smoking, Smut, Survival, Sweet Louis Tomlinson, Top Harry, Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:28:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 127,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27624053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuiltyPleasureIsMyPleasure/pseuds/GuiltyPleasureIsMyPleasure
Summary: Post-apocalyptic world after a plague had taken out more than half of the world’s population. In the midst of the pandemonium caused by so many people passing away, the population that was left had turned greedy and started attacking each other for food and resources now that there weren’t enough people to farm or work essential jobs. After being shot by a looter while he was on patrol, Harry had decided to leave the police department and move away to find somewhere remote to live. What he didn’t expect was for an omega to weasel his way into Harry’s heart.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 126
Kudos: 234





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've recently gotten back into The Walking Dead recently and have been dying to write a cute little fic of Harry and Louis living in a little cabin in the woods being all cute. There are elements of Rick and Darryl's back story in this as well as just Louis being sweet but feisty.

Harry woke to the sound of the morning of mourning doves cooing and his sheep calling. With a heavy sigh, he eased himself out of bed and cracked the stiff joints in his neck and back with a roll of his shoulders. He glanced out the window of his bedroom and frowned at the fresh dusting of snow. It was the first snow of the season and it was earlier than usual. He would need to get a move on to prepare the barn for winter.

He pulled on a pair of warm jeans along with his boots and a heavy jacket over his t-shirt before making his way outside to care for the animals. He smiled as he passed the horses in their paddock. “Good morning, you two!” He called out. “Breakfast time!”

The alpha grinned as the horses ran over to the gate where Harry usually fed them. Harry slipped into the barn and pulled out a bucket full of feed for the horses. He poured it into the trough and patted their necks as they ate.

He returned to the barn and worked on preparing the food for the other animals. He had eight cows, three goats, two horses, and a coup full of chickens that all needed tending to. He whistled as he worked, remembering an old country song his dad used to play when Harry was a kid.

“You guys be good while I’m away. I should be home by the end of the day,” he hummed before making his run back to the house.

Once he had his breakfast, he returned to the horses to saddle up his stallion.

“Come on, Jackson,” Harry hummed, pulling out a blanket, western saddle, and the harness and reins. He made quick work of saddling him up, having done this many times over the past year and a half.

He hoisted himself up and settled into the saddle. With a nudge of his heels and a click of his tongue, Jackson set off at a trot through the woods.

He had found Jackson and Libby wandering through the woods after one of the farmers in the area had released all of his animals before moving back to the States. Libby was a beautiful Appaloosa with a black body with white speckling. Jackson was a strong stallion with dark brown hair. He wasn’t quite sure what breed Jackson was, but if he had to guess he would say he was a Morgan.

As the two rode through the woods, Harry hummed softly, enjoying the early morning sunrise shining through the trees and turning the woods around them shades of pink and orange. He had grown to love mornings since he moved up to Canada from Chicago a year ago. He loved how quiet and peaceful it was in the wilderness. It was a welcome change of pace after being a police officer in Chicago for so long.

It took roughly four hours for Harry and Jackson to get to the outskirts of an abandoned town closest to the homestead. As they traveled through the streets, the only sound heard was the clip-clop of hooves on the pavement. Being in the ghost towns around here always freaked Harry out a bit. He didn’t like seeing what the world had come to while he had been hiding in the forest.

“Let’s make this quick,” he muttered to himself and pulled Jackson to a stop in front of the corner store. He really only needed a few supplies for gardening and some necessary equipment for canning. This time of year, he tended to eat more canned food than fresh and he needed more jars and lids.

He dismounted with ease and tied Jackson up to the bike rack. “Be right back.” He pulled off his gloves and slipped into the corner store. He quickly located the supplies he needed and managed to find another warm blanket as well.

On his way out the door, he notices a poster of an alpha and omega holding a baby advertising for some baby food brand. He stops for a moment and stares at it. For the most part, he had come to terms with the fact that he may never mate after the world went to shit. He was secluded in the mountains without an active civilization nearby and the chances of finding an unmated omega were slim.

Harry sighed and shook his head, hauling his duffle full of supplies out to Jackson to tie the supplies onto the saddle. He looked around at the town that had been forgotten and briefly wondered what his home in Chicago looked like now. He had left once things started getting really crazy and he had never looked back. He stopped thinking about what happened to the friends he had in Chicago, it was too painful to wonder if they were okay or if they had been killed off too.

He mounted his horse again and urged him forward with a gentle nudge of his boot. It was beginning to warm up since the sun had risen, which was a relief but it was still pretty chilly. He was looking forward to getting home so he could sit in front of the furnace and warm up.

Harry reached the edge of town when he heard a stick snap in the woods. He jerked the reins back to bring Jackson to a stop and his hand flew to the gun on his hip. With careful eyes, he scanned the edge of the tree line and narrowed them when he didn’t see anything. He sniffed the air but couldn’t make anything out. He paused, waiting a few more moments when he heard it again.

“Who’s there?” He called out, frowning and furrowing his brow. With no reply, he dismounted and slowly walked towards the trees. “Fucking show yourself!” He shouted. “I know someone is in there!”

He saw a small, frail looking omega slowly rise to his feet with his hands in the air. They were shaking and his bottom lip was trembling.

“Holy shit!” Harry breathed and hurried over to him. “Are you okay? Where’s your alpha?”

The boy licked his extremely dry lips and barely managed to shake his head. The omega looked thinner than he should have and he had dirt and cuts all over. “Don’t have one. ‘M alone.”

Harry frowned and holstered his gun. “We need to get you out of here. You look half-dead already,” he muttered and easily lifted the omega in his arms. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing. His brain screamed at him to leave the omega and hurry home in case this was a trap, but his alpha instincts wouldn’t let him.

“Where?” The boy coughed, his throat tender and hoarse from dehydration.

“We need to get you taken care of first, so I’ll bring you somewhere safe, but once you’re fit we can try to find a civilization nearby for you.”

The small, thin boy in his arms nodded, too tired to speak any more. He sighed and let his eyes slip shut, exhaustion settling in his bones.

Harry sat him down on the ground next to Jackson and reached into the saddlebags to pull out a water bottle and a bag of granola. “Sorry, this is all I have for now. You need to eat and drink something.”

The omega whimpered, finding it difficult to move.

“I can feed you if you need,” Harry offered. When he received a small nod, he opened up the water bottle and held it up to Louis’ lips, helping him drink a little at a time. He wished he brought something a little easier to chew than granola, but at least it was something that would hopefully fill the omega’s stomach until he could give him a real meal. He poured a little granola into his mouth and watched as he chewed it slowly.

Once Harry was confident that he had eaten enough to last him a few hours, he picked the omega back up and sat him on the saddle. He situated himself behind the omega and held onto him, holding him against his chest as he rode back towards his home.

It wasn’t more than five minutes before the omega had fallen asleep. His frail chest moved with deep and ragged breaths that worried Harry. He didn’t know enough about medicine to know if there was anything wrong with him aside from exposure to the elements.

The omega slept through the entire ride back to the cabin, absorbing Harry’s body heat through his jacket that kept him warm enough to sleep for four hours. When they emerged from the woods, Harry nudged the small boy in his arms awake.

“Sorry to wake you, but we’re here,” he said softly and pointed at the cabin.

The omega’s brows shot up in surprise. "You don't live in a tent?" He asked in confusion.

Harry shook his head. “Home sweet home. Let’s get you inside to fill your tummy and warm you up.” He stopped Jackson in front of the house and slid off before reaching up and helping the omega down.

When he carried the boy inside into the warmth of the cabin, the boy in his arms broke into tears, fat tears rolling down his pink cheeks as his frail body trembled.

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” Harry asked nervously, setting the boy down onto the couch.

“S-so warm in here. I thought I was dead.” The small boy sniffled and wiped at his cheeks.

“You’re okay now. You’re safe,” Harry murmured, crouching down in front of him. “I’m Harry. What’s your name?”

The omega rubbed his eyes and wrapped his arms around himself to self-soothe. “Louis. I’m Louis.”


	2. Chapter 2

Harry heated up a bowl of soup for Louis on the stove, hoping to help him warm up from the inside out and hopefully help him get healthy again. Seeing that poor boy as dehydrated and skinny pained Harry. No omega should be in such poor condition, it was dangerous for them. They needed to be taken care of and coddled.

When the soup seemed warm enough but not too hot, Harry carried it over to Louis with a spoon. “Are you able to do it?” He asked. When Louis shook his head, he knelt in front of him and held up a spoonful of warm squash soup. He offered a reassuring smile as Louis opened his mouth and took a sip. With each bite, Harry felt like he could see Louis perk up a little as the life came back to his eyes.

Louis’ eyes closed and he hummed happily as his tummy was filled. He had missed being able to eat warm food, and it was doing wonders for the permanent chill he had felt for the past month. “Thank you,” he whispered when he was done with a grateful smile.

“You should take a bath. That should help you warm up and I’m sure it’ll feel good to get clean,” Harry murmured. “Can you stand up?”

Louis nodded, taking the hand that Harry offered him to help him stand up leaning into his strong, firm frame as he shuffled towards the bathroom.

“Sorry, I know I don’t have any of that good smelling soap. Just the basic stuff,” Harry sighed and turned the tub on, making sure it was nice and warm for Louis. “Do you um. Do you need help getting in?”

Louis blushed and shook his head, rubbing at his eyes with his fist. “I’ll be okay. Thank you.”

Harry offered him a smile and gave his arm a gentle, reaffirming squeeze. “I’ll be right outside. Holler if you need anything.” He made sure Louis nodded his head before slipping out the door and closing it behind him quietly.

He went to his room and searched through his clothes. He was hoping he might have a pair of sweatpants or something for Louis to wear while Harry washed his old ones, though he had a feeling those would be too ratty for him to wear anymore. He finally located a pair of sweatpants and a sweater for Louis to wear for the next few days. Once he was sure he was going to be okay, he would travel back to town to look for clothes for Louis that would fit him better. He walked back over to the bathroom and knocked on the door. “Louis? I have some clothes for you to wear. I’m gonna leave them outside the door.”

“Thank you.” He heard a soft voice call from behind the door. He smiled to himself and left the clothes, going back to the kitchen to do some dishes and clean up while Louis was busy. He looked around the cabin, figuring out where to set Louis up to sleep. He would offer his bed to Louis, but he didn’t know if that was appropriate or not. He didn’t want to make him uncomfortable and he wasn’t sure if Louis would want to sleep in a bed with his scent all over it.

Harry gathered a handful of blankets and arranged them on the bigger couch, hoping it would be comfortable enough for Louis to sleep on. When Louis was done bathing and had gotten dressed, Harry helped him back to the couch.

“Feeling any better?” Harry asked softly, sitting next to Louis but allowing space between them.

Louis nodded, pulling the sleeves down over his hands as he curled up on the couch.

“You should rest. I’ll give you some space,” Harry hummed and got to his feet, placing a blanket over Louis. “I’ll be outside if you need anything.”

Harry worked in the barn for a few hours, piling hay up in one of the stalls to keep the goats and sheep warmer in the winter. The previous year winter was harsher than most, but it hadn’t started this early. The winters up here in the woods were pretty rough, and he was hoping that Louis would be able to find a home with one of the communities in the area. He didn’t think Louis would like being stuck out in the middle of nowhere for the winter. He held out hope that Louis would recover quickly. He didn’t want to see him suffer, it made his inner alpha anxious to know that there was an omega under his care that was hurt.

He gave Louis a few hours to nap before he returned to the cabin. His home smelled different. It smelled a little sweeter with an omega in it. He did his best not to like the hint of sweet cloves hanging in the air. While Louis napped, Harry sat down on the other couch with a book in his lap. He had been trying to figure out how to use the solar panels to maybe power a heater in the barn, just in case the winter was too harsh for the animals to keep themselves warm. He was in the middle of reading about the wiring needed when he heard Louis stir.

Louis blinked his eyes open wearily, his gaze focusing on the alpha across the room. It intimidated him to have an alpha in the room alone with him. He thought Harry seemed kind enough, but his instincts told him to be wary, just in case. He blushed when Harry looked up at him and lowered his gaze.

“Hey, you’re up.” Harry smiled and closed his book, setting it off to the side. “Did you get a good nap in?”

Louis nodded. “I did. Thank you,” he said softly and looked around the room. “How did you get here?”

“I bought it. When everything started going bad at the beginning of the plague, I figured it would be good to get out of the city,” Harry explained. “How did you end up all by yourself?”

Louis bit his lip and stared down at his lap. “I lost my family. My sisters got the disease. Mom was killed when the looters came through our camp. I was hiding in a tree, I’m the only one that survived.” He offered a sad smile.

“I’m so sorry. That’s awful,” Harry sighed, his heart aching for the boy. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-two. As of Christmas Eve. My momma always said I was her favorite present.” Louis hugged his arms around himself.

Harry frowned at the pheromones coming off of Louis. He could smell the grief in his faint scent. “It would be any mother’s favorite gift. Babies are the best thing in the world.”

Louis smiled and nodded. “I love babies. Hope I can have some of my own someday.”

“I’m sure you will,” Harry murmured. “You’re young. You have plenty of time.”

“How old are you?” Louis asked curiously.

Harry chuckled and reclined on the couch, stretching his arms and missing the way Louis studied the way his biceps flexed as he stretched. “I’m thirty.”

Louis nodded. He had always pictured himself finding an older alpha and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was just a coincidence that the alpha that found him was unmated, older, and seemed caring and sweet. “What did you do before all of this happened?”

Harry hummed and scratched the back of his neck. “I was a police officer in Chicago. I joined the force straight out of college. I wanted to protect the world. As an alpha, I thought it was my duty to protect the weak from the evil in the world. When the plague hit, people panicked. I was working back to back shifts on patrol when I got the call there somebody was breaking into the corner store. I got there first. I went inside and caught someone looting a bunch of food. I didn’t see the second looter. I got shot. When I recovered I left the force and moved up here. It was dangerous in the city and I’m pretty familiar with living off the grid, so I bought some land with my savings and built this place.”

“You built this place all by yourself?” Louis asked in surprise.

“I built the addition and fixed it up a bit. When I bought the place it was basically just a bunch of plywood walls and some pipes. I fixed up the plumbing, added a bathtub, and added the bedroom.”

Louis nodded and gave him a smile. “Impressive. You’ve built a nice home here.”

Harry smiled. “Thank you. It’s not much to look at, but it’s home.”

“It’s a good home.” Louis gave Harry a small smile. “You don’t have an omega?”

Harry shook his head and laughed softly. “Nope. There aren’t many omegas who would want to live in the middle of nowhere in an old hunting cabin.”

Louis frowned. “That’s not true. I think this would make a great home. It maybe needs an omega’s touch to make it feel like a nest, but it’s a great start. Any omega would be lucky to have you as an alpha.”

Heat spread across Harry’s cheeks and he ducked his head. He wasn’t used to having an omega tell him he was a good alpha. He never had anyone tell him that.

Louis giggled as Harry blushed bright red. “What, it’s true!” He insisted.

Harry waved Louis off and got to his feet. “Yeah, yeah.” He ran his fingers through his hair and walked towards the kitchen. “I’m gonna start making dinner. Pasta alright with you?”

“I’ve eaten only bugs and berries for the last three months. Pasta sounds amazing, Alpha.” Louis smiled.

Harry blushed again as Louis called him alpha. It sent heat through his veins to have an omega recognize his status as an alpha. It had been ages since he had even been around an omega, much less in a scenario like this. It felt good. It gave him a sense of importance to have someone to take care of and protect again. He had forgotten how much he liked looking after someone.

“Then pasta you shall get,” Harry hummed, pulling pots and pans down from the cabinets as he worked on dinner.

When the spaghetti was finished, Harry placed a bowl in Louis’ lap and sat down next to him on the couch. “Eat up. You need your strength back.”

Louis nodded obediently and twirled noodles on his fork, doing a little happy dance as he took a bite. “Mmmm, so good,” he moaned, stuffing more noodles in his mouth.

Harry grinned, watching Louis eat happily. He was a sweet omega and Harry was glad he could help him. He was looking forward to Louis getting healthier. He was practically skin and bones at the weight he was at. He wanted to get him back to a healthy weight before they even considered taking him to find a community to join. Though, Harry had to admit he would feel lonely when Louis left. It was nice having someone to share a space with.

“I’m glad you like it. Omega,” Harry said quietly, keeping his eyes down but noticing a slight change in Louis’ scent. The boy had preened at being called omega and it made Harry want to protect him even more.

After dinner, they sat on the couch together and Harry told him all about how the accommodations he had built and all the animals that were in the barn. Louis was most excited about the sheep, especially when Harry told him that one of the sheep was pregnant. The boy gradually grew tired yawning sleepily and rubbing his eyes.

“I should let you go to bed. You’re tired,” Harry murmured and went to stand up but felt a small hand grab his shirt.

“Wait. Will you stay until I fall asleep? I don’t want to have to sleep alone again,” Louis asked quietly, looking up at Harry with big, sad eyes.

Harry’s heart ached in his chest, so he nodded and sat down on the floor next to the couch. “Yeah. I can stay until you fall asleep,” he murmured and reached out to rest a hand on Louis’ arm. “Lay down, Louis.”

Louis listened to the alpha and curled up with the blankets bundled up around him like a cacoon. “I like when you call me Omega,” he whispered and bit his lip. “Makes me feel safe.”

Harry smiled and nodded, rubbing his hand up and down Louis’ arm. “I can call you Omega,” he promised and resisted the urge to press a kiss to Louis’ forehead. He was a little rusty when it came to manners, but he knew it wasn’t really appropriate for him to kiss or touch Louis like that at this point. “I’ll be right here. You’re safe.”

Louis let his eyes drift shut and sighed softly, melting under Harry’s touch as he was soothed by the rhythm of Harry’s hand moving up and down his arm. “Night, Alpha.”

“Goodnight, sweet Omega.” Harry bit back a smile as he watched the muscles in Louis’ face go slack as he finally relaxed and slowly welcomed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just getting the ball rolling here! Don't worry, the fluff is coming!


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few days, Harry noticed Louis gradually getting his strength back now that he finally had some good, healthy but filling food to eat and a warm home to sleep in. With each passing day, Louis opened up to Harry and began to trust him more and more. He would still ask Harry to stay with him at night until he fell asleep, but Harry truly didn’t mind. He thought it was sweet that the omega needed his company to sleep and feel safe.

The week after Harry had brought Louis into his home, Harry got up early in the morning in order to make his run back to town to get Louis some clothes that would actually fit him. He tried to carefully move around the kitchen to get something to eat before the long trip into town without waking Louis, but soon felt a pair of small arms wrap around him from behind.

“Morning, Alpha,” Louis said softly with a little yawn. “You’re up early,” he hummed and nuzzled his face into Harry’s back, inhaling his scent happily.

Harry’s cheeks tinted a few shades darker as he turned around to see Louis. “Morning. I’m sorry I woke you. You can go back to sleep if you’d like.”

Louis shook his head, rubbing at his eyes with sweater paws. “Why are you up so early?”

“I’m heading into town today to pick up some things for you. I thought it might be nice to have clothes that will actually fit you. And some um. Fresh underwear,” Harry murmured, fighting back a fond smile at how sweet and soft Louis was in the mornings. He adored the sleepy blue eyes and soft fluffy hair he sported in the mornings.

Louis perked up at the idea of new clothes. “Really? New clothes?” He beamed excitedly.

Harry chuckled and nodded. “Mhmm. Anything specific you want me to look for?”

“Oh Harry, can I go with?” Louis asked hopefully, batting his eyelashes up at Harry. Harry paused, the corners of his mouth twitching downwards at the thought of Louis leaving the warmth and safety of the cabin. “Please Alpha? I don't want to be stuck in here forever. I can take care of myself, I've been doing it ever since my mom died. Please?”

Harry sighed and tilted his head back. “Fine.” He didn’t stand a chance at holding his ground with Louis. One pout and Harry was wrapped around his little finger. He smiled as Louis cheered and hopped up and down. Yup. He definitely had more energy now than he did a week ago.

“Oh, thank you!” Louis gushed and stook up on his tiptoes to kiss Harry’s cheek. “Thank you so much!”

Harry could feel his skin get warmer as his pheromones released, his alpha content to have Louis’ lips on his cheek. If Louis noticed, he did a great job at not showing it. “Think you can set the table while I make some breakfast up for us?”

Louis nodded cheerfully, his spirits lifted with the knowledge that he and Harry would get to go on an adventure today to get him clothes, though he truly enjoyed wearing some of Harry’s things. He liked being able to smell the alpha on his clothes so his scent covered him like a blanket. He was sure Harry would still let him borrow a sweater or two though. He happily grabbed two plates and silverware from the cupboards and carried them over to the table, humming softly to himself as he arranged the settings perfectly.

When the breakfast scramble was done, Harry carried the heavy cast iron skillet over to the table and spooned some out for each of them. He made sure Louis had plenty to eat, he wanted to get his weight up a bit. He was still far skinnier than an omega should be and the extra fat on his body would keep him warm as the temperatures continued to drop.

Louis dug into his breakfast eagerly, moaning at the flavor. “Alpha, are we gonna take the horses into town today?”

Harry shook his head and sipped his cup of coffee. “No, we’ll take the Jeep. I usually save the Jeep for when I need to haul a lot of stuff or it’s a long drive, and I have a feeling we’re going to be coming home with a lot of stuff.”

Louis nodded. “Okay. How much can I get?” He asked, hoping Harry would let him get as many clothes as he wanted.

Harry pursed his lips as he thought. “Well. I guess that depends. I know we had talked about bringing you to another community once you felt better. If that’s the case, then you should probably limit it to what you’ll be able to fit into a duffel.”

Louis’ body sagged as he slouched down in his seat a bit. He didn’t want to leave. He liked this small, cozy cabin in the woods and he liked having an alpha around that he trusted. In bigger communities, there were more alphas and it was harder for him to trust alphas that he didn’t know. “Oh.”

Harry noticed the change in Louis’ scent and furrowed his brows. “Do you still want to find a community?”

Louis hesitated before slowly shaking his head. “Not really. I never really did. You said when you found me that you would help me get better and then find somewhere for me to go.”

Harry frowned. “No, Lou. I didn’t mean it like that. I didn’t think you’d want to stay here. It’s not exactly paradise for omegas. I figured you’d want a community with alphas that you could pick from. I would love having you stay here, but that’s completely up to you.”

“I don’t need another alpha. I have you,” Louis decided and turned back to eating his food. “I wanna stay here.”

Harry pressed his lips together as his alpha growled happily, trying to stop pheromones from releasing indicating the blood flowing to his cock.

Louis giggled, noting the change in Harry’s scent. “What?”

Harry shook his head and took a deep breath. “Nothing. You just – you just said you don’t need an alpha because you have me.”

Louis nodded and popped another bite of eggs in his mouth. “S true,” he hummed and finished off his plate before flouncing into the kitchen to put his plate in the sink. He had Harry, and as far as he was concerned, that was plenty. His trust in Harry had only grown this past week, and he was more than happy to stay here with Harry for a while longer. Not to mention, they didn’t even know if there was civilization anywhere near them. It would be safer for him to stay cozied up with Harry in their cabin rather than wander around in the wilderness looking for a group.

When it was time to go, Harry made Louis put on two pairs of sweatpants, a sweatshirt, long sleeve shirt, coat, and boots and mittens to keep him warm. As they walked out the door, he also draped a scarf around the omega for good measure. He wouldn’t risk Louis getting sick or catching a chill, much to the boy’s annoyance.

The car ride was much shorter than the ride by horse into town. In the car, it took half the time to get to town and Harry got to spend that time chatting with Louis about what things he was hoping to get. Apparently, Louis had entire list of things he wanted for the cabin to make it feel more like home. It pleased Harry to know that the boy was nesting in his home. He wanted it to be Louis’ home too, now that they decided Louis would stay with him for the foreseeable future.

Louis was still a bit weak, so Harry helped him out of the car and kept close by as they walked down the aisles of the store. Louis would perk up with excitement and rush over to the racks whenever he found something he liked, and quite frankly, Harry found it obscenely adorable. He held the duffle for Louis as the omega kept piling things into the bag, watching article of clothing after article of clothing get stuffed into the bag. Harry wandered over to the underwear aisle and grabbed a package of boxer briefs, considering that’s what Louis had been wearing for the past week.

Louis wrinkled his nose at the package Harry brought over and tossed them back before striding over to the women’s section of underwear. Harry blushed. He should turn away, but the alpha in him couldn’t rip his eyes away while Louis sorted through the pretty lacey things and grabbed a handful in his size.

Harry cleared his throat and held the bag in front of him to hide the growing problem in his sweats. Louis caught a whiff and his cheeks went pink. “Oh,” he breathed and forced himself not to look down at Harry’s crotch. “So um. What else?”

Harry led the way over to the outerwear and made sure Louis would have a heavy coat for winter, a pair of boots, and a pair of sneakers. He figured Louis could just borrow his hat and scarves, though he would definitely need his own mittens, Harry’s gloves were far too big for his small hands.

“I wanna get some nice things for the cabin too. I’m thinking a few blankets, throw pillows, some vases, maybe a plant, but I guess it would have to be fake,” Louis listed as he wandered down the aisles, grabbing whatever he wanted as they made their way through the store. Harry played the good sport, willingly carrying all of the things Louis picked out without complaint.

When Louis was convinced they had enough to decorate the cabin, he let Harry carry the things back to the Jeep. As he was getting ready to climb back into the car, Harry heard a sound come from the building next door. He froze and his hand instantly went to his holster, hand ready to pull his gun if he needed. Louis had hardly noticed, chattering along cheerfully about all the good finds of the day.

“Louis, go back in the store and don’t come out until I say to. Now,” Harry ordered, taking his gun from its holster.

Louis looked up in alarm. “What? Why? What’s wrong?” He questioned, walking over to Harry to see what he was looking at.

“NOW, OMEGA!” Harry snapped, his alpha voice coming out strong as his hackles raised.

Louis gasped, dropping his head and scurrying inside quickly to obey the alpha. His need to submit was too strong, he had to ignore his curiosity and listen to the alpha. He dropped to the floor in the corner of the store and hugged his knees to his chest.

Harry kept his gun at he ready as he slowly crept around the car, keeping his eyes and ears open for any more signs. He had heard what sounded like a crash coming from one of the buildings nearby, so he cautiously moved towards the first building and stepped inside.

With his instincts on high alert, Harry made his way through the old liquor store that was almost completely empty and cleared each aisle. This part came naturally to him, after being a police officer for so long in Chicago. He moved through the store with ease and decided this building was empty. Gun still in hand, he entered the next building and immediately sensed that something was off.

His eyes narrowed and he braced himself as he crept down the main aisle, checking each side aisle with practiced precision. The sound of rustling grew louder as he made his way towards the back of the building until he could tell that it was just one aisle over. He took a deep breath to center himself before lurching around the corner with his gun aimed at whatever was in the next aisle. As soon as it lunged at him, Harry pulled the trigger and fired three shots into whatever had launched itself at Harry. He realized it had just been a crazed looking man and in his hand was a bloodied knife.

He shook his shaking hands and rubbed them over his face, working to get himself to snap out of it. He got like this sometimes. When something charged at him or caught him off-guard he immediately went on high alert and his body started shaking as memories of being shot ran through his mind.

Remembering the breathing exercises his therapist had once taught him, Harry took a few deep breaths and exhaled them slowly as he counted and took the time to be mindful of what his body was feeling. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to think about the soft sweater he could feel against his skin, the itchy hat that perched on his head, and the feeling of the cool metal of his gun in his hand. He leaned over the body and checked for a pulse, there was none. He hated having to take lives but the world had changed so much since the plague and he couldn’t risk getting killed by some crazed person with a knife.

Slowly, he slowed his breathing and eased himself away from a panic attack. He was ashamed to admit that he had them. He was an alpha, he was supposed to be strong and have no weaknesses. He didn’t want Louis to see him like that, so he took a few extra minutes to make sure he was okay before returning to the shop he had told Louis to hide in.

As soon as Harry entered the building he could smell the distress coming from the omega. “Omega!” He called out and raced towards the scent, relieved to see Louis in one piece, though he was sobbing into his hands. “Louis, what’s wrong?” He asked worriedly.

Louis looked up and sobbed harder, reaching his hands out to Harry. The alpha scooped Louis up into his arms and held him close, rocking Louis gently as the omega wrapped his arms and legs around Harry and clung to him.

“Shhh. Omega, it’s okay. You’re safe,” Harry murmured and released pheromones to soothe the frantic omega in his arms.

“I – I heard the shots,” Louis sobbed and pushed his face into Harry’s neck. “Thought you were hurt and would leave me here.” He cried and tried to inhale as much of Harry’s calming scent as he could, trying to convince himself that everything was fine.

“I’m so sorry, Lou. It’s alright. It was just a wild animal. I had to shoot it, but I’m fine. I’m here, and I’m not letting you go,” He lied in a whisper in Louis’ ear as he rubbed his back and pushed out more of his scent. He knew he couldn’t tell him that he had to take the life of another person. The omega was too fragile for that.

Louis clung to Harry with his face buried into his neck for longer than Harry knew as he rocked the omega back and forth and spoke soft and comforting words to him. It must have close to ten minutes before Louis’ senses came back and he could feel that Harry was alright.

“There you go. You’re okay, I’ve got you.” Harry offered Louis a reassuring smile when the boy pulled back, but he didn’t let him down just yet.

Louis sniffled and wiped at his tears, whimpering softly. “I’m sorry. I just got really scared.”

“I know. You don’t have to apologize for being scared. Sometimes things are truly scary and it’s okay to be afraid. But I’m here to protect you, and I’ll fight to make sure you never have to be scared of losing me,” Harry promised, brushing a few loose strands of hair out of Louis’ eyes.

Louis nodded, wrapping his arms around Harry’s neck and hugging tightly. His omega hormones wafted off of him in strong waves, affecting Harry’s inner alpha. “Come on, Omega. Let’s go home,” he whispered to the boy in his arms and carried him out to the car.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry settled Louis in the car and looked around, trying to hide his anxiety. He wasn’t sure where that man had come from, but he was worried that there may be a group that he was with. He would need to come back and investigate to make sure he was alone out here, but for right now his priority was getting Louis home safe.

Harry started up the car and turned the heat on low, his eyes wide as he kept an eye out for any signs of more people. The drive home was pretty quiet as Louis busied himself with one of the books they’d found. He was oblivious to Harry’s slight paranoia about their surroundings and he was happy to be in a warm car with a good book to keep him occupied.

When they returned home, Harry helped carry all of Louis’ things inside and set the duffle bag on the couch. “So uh, while you’re staying here where do you want to sleep?” He asked, hanging the car keys up on a hook.

The omega blushed and shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno. Couch is fine with me,” he murmured.

Harry frowned and pursed his lips. “I can take the couch. You should probably have a bed.” He sighed and looked around the cabin. “This cabin is gonna be a bit small for both of us. We’ll get through the winter and if you decide to stay longer, I’ll probably have to do another addition. Build an extra bedroom for one of us.”

Louis nodded, chewing on his lip as he pulled a few of the blankets they had stolen out of the bag. “Do you have some way to do laundry?” He asked and made a pile of things he wanted to wash.

“Kind of. Don’t have any fancy laundry machines or anything, but I’ve got a basin and a line in the porch to dry things on. Sorry,” Harry hummed before leaving to strip the bed so Louis could have some fresh bedding. “If I can get this laundry done and dried before bed you can take the bedroom.”

“Okay.” Louis nodded. “It’s not going to be very comfortable for you to sleep on a couch for long, though.”

Harry just shrugged. “I’ve slept on worse.”

Louis tilted his head to the side in curiosity and followed Harry out to the porch with his clothes. “Worse? Like what?” He asked and sat down on a stool while Harry got the basin set up for laundry.

Harry sighed and shrugged his shoulders again. “Just the ground. Slept outside a lot as a kid.”

Louis scrunched up his nose and frowned. “Why?” He knew he was being a little nosey, but he was an extremely curious person and he wanted to know more about Harry.

Biting his lip, Harry grabbed one of the gallons of water and poured it into the basin in the corner. “My dad wasn’t a very good man,” he said softly and added a bit of soap he had managed to nab a few months back from a store. “He drank a lot. When he drank he would forget he had a kid. There were a few times we’d be on a camping trip or something and he’d get drunk and end up leaving me behind. Or he would get really mad at me for something and drive me out to the middle of the woods and leave me there.” He grabbed the sheets first and swirled them around the basin to let them soak. “I learned pretty early on how to get by with nothing in the wilderness.”

Louis’ heart sank at the new information. “Your dad just left you there? What about your mother? Wasn’t she there to stop him? An omega is supposed to protect their babies,” he insisted, crossing his arms in frustration.

“I didn’t have a mom. My dad said she up and left him with me but I’m pretty sure he hit her and she either killed herself or he beat her to death.” Harry grabbed the washboard and started scrubbing the sheets against it.

“B-but that’s awful,” Louis whispered and watched Harry sadly. He seemed so cold and detached from it like it was too painful to feel emotions for.

Harry offered a shrug. “I guess so. It doesn’t affect me much anymore. I saw a lot of really shitty things as a cop, you learn to dissociate. All of that can really get to you if you don’t learn to distance yourself from it. A lot of cops go crazy. I think that’s part of why abuse of power is such a huge issue in the police department. Or was, I guess. I don’t even know if police departments exist anymore.”

Louis hesitantly walked over to Harry and gave him a hug from behind. “I’m sorry you had to go through that as a kid. No child should have to experience that.”

“Thanks, Louis,” Harry sighed and patted Louis’ arm. After the events of the day, he felt weird towards Louis. He didn’t want to get too attached to him, but his biology was screaming at him to take care of Louis and look after him as if he was his own omega.

The omega nodded. He could sense something was off between them ever since the events that took place in town and he didn’t understand why. They were doing great the day before and this morning, but it felt like Harry was trying to push him away. He didn’t want to be rejected, he wanted Harry to like him and want to take care of him. He could take care of himself, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to get to know Harry more, but he could already tell that he was wounded in his own way. He wanted to help Harry just as much as the alpha was helping him by allowing him to stay here with him.

Louis left Harry to take care of the laundry, it’s not like he would be of much help anyway, he didn’t quite have the strength to scrub the clothing. He stepped back inside the cabin and sat in front of the fire, bringing his knees up to his chest and hugging his arms around himself. He could still hardly believe that he was here, in the safety of a cabin and out of the wilderness he had been lost in for so long.

He was beyond relieved to finally be warm, but he had other things to worry about now. He still wasn’t as healthy as he needed to be, he needed to put on some weight and gain back the muscle he had before all of this. He was determined to get better quickly, just in case things here fell through with Harry and he needed to be able to survive on his own again. Harry’s shift in mood was worrisome.

Yesterday, Harry had been teasing him and calling him Omega. Even this morning, things seemed better than they did now. Louis loved having Harry be so soft and sweet with him, it gave him hope that there was still sweetness left in the world, that not everything had to be hard or harsh. Something had happened when Harry shot that animal in the store, but Louis didn’t know what. Whatever had taken place seemed to have shaken Harry. Even his scent had changed to something darker and there was a heat to his pheromones that wasn’t there before.

With a sigh, Louis grabbed a log from the pale next to the furnace and carefully put one in before wrapping himself up in a blanket and curling up next to the warmth of the fire.

Harry finished scrubbing and rinsing the laundry and then hung it up to dry on the lines he had installed in the porch, hoping the sheets and quilt would be dry enough by the time they went to bed for Louis to sleep with.

In all honesty, having Louis stay with him concerned Harry. He was worried that he would grow attached to the omega only to have him choose to move to another community. After having that man in the shop lunge at him to kill him, he was worried about Louis getting killed by someone on their runs into town. He was also deeply concerned about Louis going into heat. He didn’t have to worry so much about his rut, having gone through it just a few weeks before he found Louis, but he didn’t know when Louis had last had his. He knew he should probably ask, but he didn’t want to be too invasive.

After taking care of the laundry, Harry wandered outside with his gun secured in its holster. The encounter had taken him aback and made him wary, he wanted to make sure no one had followed the Jeep back to the cabin. Harry pulled his jacket around himself tighter and headed towards the tracks from the car. He kept a hand on his gun as he hiked through the woods.

Harry spent a few hours in the woods surrounding the cabin, examining different tracks and making sure that nobody had followed the Jeep’s tire tracks. When he was convinced that they were in the clear, he worked his way back through the woods and stomped the snow out of his boots when he got to the front steps. With shivering hands, he opened the door and stepped inside.

Louis perked up when Harry entered. “You look cold. Can I get you something?” He asked, wanting to show Harry how appreciative he was that Harry was letting him stay.

Harry shook his head and pulled his boots off with a groan. “Cold out there,” he hummed and stripped off his coat and gloves before walking over to the furnace and crouching in front of it. He sniffled through his runny nose and held his hands up to the heat.

Louis got to his feet and stopped behind Harry, carefully unwrapping his scarf and hanging it up with the rest of his things before he stepped into the kitchen. He turned on the stove and placed a kettle on the open flame to get some hot water to warm Harry up.

“Thanks,” Harry murmured as Louis took his scarf.

“What were you doing out there?” Louis asked from the kitchen and grabbed a mug from one of the shelves lining the walls.

Harry paused for a moment and glanced over at Louis. “Just preparing some of the vegetable patches for winter,” he lied. “Be careful over that stove.”

“I will be,” Louis hummed and brought the mug of water over to the alpha. “Here. It’ll help you warm up.”

Harry accepted the mug and offered Louis a slight smile, it was really just a quirk of the corner of his mouth. “Thanks.”

Louis preened and took a seat next to Harry. “So, you have a vegetable patch?”

“I do. It’s behind the barn. Well, it’s almost more of a lean-to. I had to build it when I got this place and rescued some of the animals,” Harry explained and slowly sipped the warm water. Louis was right, it helped to warm him from the inside.

“I haven’t gotten to see the barn yet. Can you bring me out there tomorrow?” Louis asked hopefully, reaching over to rest a hand on Harry’s arm.

Harry stiffened at the touch on his arm, fighting his inner alpha’s desire to pull Louis closer. “I can in the evening. I’ll be gone most of the morning and afternoon, but I should be back for supper. I should have a few canned meals that you can eat for lunch”

Louis pouted and let his shoulders slump. “Oh,” he sighed and picked at a loose thread on the sweatpants he had borrowed from Harry.

“There are books if you get bored,” Harry offered but he knew it wasn’t much. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with an omega, it had been ages since he had been around one much less had to care for one. He watched Louis shrug mopily and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I usually spend my days caring for the animals or building something. I don’t have much for ideas of what an omega may want to do.”

“I get it. It’s just gonna be a little lonely in here without someone to keep me company.” Louis shrugged his small shoulders.

“Well, I’m all yours until then,” Harry offered and got up to recline on the couch. “Why don’t you go ahead and ask me anything.”

Louis perked up and plopped down on the couch next to Harry. “Ooh, okay!” He beamed and bit his lip as he thought. “Have you ever had an omega?”

Harry shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “Not really. I courted an omega in college, but it didn’t really go anywhere, and then when I joined the force I was too busy.”

“What’s your favorite hobby?”

“From before or after everything went to shit?” Harry snorted, taking another sip of his hot water.

“How about both?” Louis hummed, wiggling his toes under Harry’s thighs to keep them warm and blushing when Harry lifted a brow. “Is this okay?”

Harry nodded and resisted the urge to take Louis’ feet in his lap to give him a relaxing foot massage. “It’s fine. As far as hobbies go, I used to really like music. I played guitar and piano. Now, I don’t know what my favorite hobby is. I really like splitting wood, I guess?”

Louis giggled and shook his head. “That’s not a hobby!”

Harry chuckled and shrugged his broad shoulders. “It can be. I mean, there isn’t much else to do hobby-wise. I spend most of my time either in the woods or making sure the animals don’t die so that I don’t die either.”

Louis rolled his eyes playfully. “You’re hopeless.”

“Alright, smarty pants. What’s your favorite hobby then?” Harry asked and crossed his arms.

“Before everything happened, I loved to dance. I always wanted to be able to go to dance school, but I never got the chance. It was too expensive. But I guess I’m too sure what my favorite hobby is now either. For the last few months, I’ve just been trying to survive out in the woods. Clearly, I wasn’t doing too good of a job at it. I was fine at first but when it started getting colder it was harder to find food. When my mom was still alive, I really liked cooking.” Louis wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on a knee.

Harry nodded slowly and scratched at the scruff on his jaw. He hadn’t shaved in a long time, but it was nice for keeping his face a little warmer out in the cold.

“What do you miss most about the Before?” Louis asked next.

“Mmm. I guess I miss some of the convenience. I like being up here alone but sometimes you just crave a juicy hamburger, you know?”

Louis grinned and nodded. “Definitely. And ice cream. Man, I miss ice cream,” he sighed wistfully.

Harry smirked as he got an idea and patted Louis’ knee. “One second,” he hummed and got up, grabbing a bowl from the kitchen before shoving his boots back on and disappearing outside.

Louis knit his brows together and frowned, hopping off the couch to try to see where Harry ran off to. He huffed and crossed his arms. He hated being alone. He plopped back down on the couch, pouting at Harry’s swift disappearance.

When Harry came back into the cabin he headed straight for the kitchen. He grabbed a canister with sugar from one of the cupboards, a glass pitcher of milk from the fridge, and a small bottle of vanilla that he saved for special occasions. Louis’ curiosity got the best of him as he climbed off the sofa and padded over to where Harry was mixing everything together in the bowl.

“What are you doing?” Louis asked in confusion, peering into the bowl.

“Patience, kid,” Harry chuckled as he mixed.

Louis’ eyes narrowed. “I’m not a kid,” he huffed and crossed his arms. “I’m twenty-two.”

Harry smiled and turned to Louis with the bowl in his hands. “Here you go. Snow Cream. People have made substitute ice cream this way for generations. My grandma showed me how to make this when I was a kid and she learned how to make it from her grandma.”

Louis examined the bowl carefully, holding it up to his nose to smell it before carefully taking a bite. As soon as the snow cream touched his lips and coated his tongue it melted, leaving a creamy sweet flavor in his mouth. In an instant, Louis was crying with fat tears slipping down his cheeks.

Harry’s smile dropped and his alpha surged forward. He reached out and grabbed Louis’ arm. “Louis, what’s wrong? Does it taste bad?” He asked worriedly, sniffing the air to try to see if he could detect anything based on Louis’ scent.

Louis shook his head quickly, sniffling softly and wiping at his tears. “N-no. It’s not bad. It’s good. Really good,” he whispered and took another bite.

“Omega, why are you crying?” Harry frowned, his hands trailing over Louis’ arms on their own as if searching for wounds.

“It’s just so lovely. I haven’t had ice cream in years, and you made it for me, and it tastes so yummy,” Louis cried, beside himself with emotions. His body screamed at him to search for comfort from Harry, desperate for an alpha’s touch. He whimpered, eyes full with tears as he takes a small step closer to Harry.

“What do you need? Can I help?” Harry asked, chewing on his lip as he tried to control his anxiety.

“C-can you hold me for a minute?” Louis sniffled, looking up at Harry with sad eyes. “Please.”

Harry nodded and instantly pulled Louis closer to him, setting the bowl back on the counter before wrapping his arms around the omega. “Just breathe, Louis. It’s okay,” he whispered and rubbed the boy’s back.

Louis’ body relaxed into Harry’s as his omega reveled in the contact with an alpha. His body released pleased hormones into the air and he couldn’t help but try to nuzzle closer to Harry, pressing his face against Harry’s strong chest and quietly inhaling his scent to try to calm himself down.

“It’s okay,” Harry mumbled, sliding his fingers through Louis’ hair to scratch his scalp soothingly. He held Louis to him, releasing his pheromones into the room until he could feel the tension leave Louis’ body. “There you go, see? You’re okay.” He didn’t want to let Louis go, but he knew he should. It just felt so good to be holding a soft omega in his arms.

Louis nodded, wiping at his cheeks and taking deep calming breaths, though he didn’t want Harry to let him go. “Mhmm,” he hummed and wrapped his small arms around Louis to give him a gentle hug. “Thank you.”

Harry shrugged and patted Louis’ back. “It’s no problem. Do you want the rest of the snow cream?” He asked and took a small step back.

“Yes please,” Louis murmured, taking the bowl from Harry before curling back up on the couch. He slowly ate the contents of the bowl, letting his eyes slip shut as he enjoyed the sweet ice.

“Did you have any other questions?” Harry asked, leaning against the old wooden table with his arms crossed.

Louis nodded and finished off his snow cream before asking any more questions. Putting the bowl on the rickety wooden table, he hummed and tilted his head to the side. “What do you want your future to look like?”

“I dunno. I usually try not to think too far into the future. I take things day by day. Don’t want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed.” Harry shrugged. “I guess I picture myself to just live here for the rest of my life. Raise animals, maybe make this place more sustainable.”

“You don’t picture yourself with a family?” Louis asked quietly, nibbling on his bottom lip. He couldn’t quite explain it but he found himself hoping that maybe, just maybe Harry had thought about what it would be like to be with Louis.

Harry shook his head. “I’m not sure. I mean, I’m an alpha so obviously, that’s something I’d like but I also know it’s not likely to happen for me. The odds aren’t exactly good for me finding an omega.”

Louis frowned and looked down at his hands, frustrated that Harry didn’t seem to even think about him that way. He was here! He was an omega who would be willing to stay, but Harry didn’t seem him even though he was right in front of him. Without another word, Louis got to his feet and pulled on a jacket and boots to go sit out on the porch.

Harry watched Louis go and furrowed his brows in confusion. This omega was puzzling. Harry didn’t use to have such a hard time reading omegas, but he’d been on his own without anyone else around and he supposed he was rusty when it came to interacting with an omega. He sighed and moved to the kitchen to make dinner.

Harry sent Louis to bed early that night, hoping some extra sleep would help him get stronger more quickly. As he laid on the couch, he listened to the wind howling outside with snow blowing around the cabin. The sound of an owl hooting from the tree next to the old wooden building slowly lulled Harry into a deep sleep.

_Sweat gathered at Harry’s hairline, it was a hot summer night. His skin was sticky as he dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief. As he walked towards the store, he stuffed the handkerchief back into the pocket of his work pants and rested his hand on the hilt of the gun. His footsteps fell silent on the pavement, the only sound coming from the smashing of glass._

_Harry quietly walked around the building, carefully peering into windows in an attempt to see where the intruder was. The glass was foggy and filthy from dirt, making it next to impossible to see inside. He pulled his radio from his shoulder and called for back up before creeping towards the entrance._

_He swiftly opened the door, cringing as the bell chimed and the commotion inside stopped. Fuck. Whoever was in there now knew that Harry was also here. He took a deep breath and pulled his gun from its holster, lifting it to be at the ready._

_Harry worked his way through the building, checking each dark aisle for the intruder. Upon spotting motion out of the corner of his eye, he spun and held his gun up. “Stop where you are. Put your hands up where I can see them,” he ordered with his gun trained on the looter._

_“It’s the end of the world, man. Didn’t you know?” The intruder chuckled darkly and pulled a knife from his pocket. “Just doing what I have to.”_

_“I said put your fucking hands up!” Harry shouted and narrowed his eyes, cocking his gun, and watching the smirk fall from the man’s face. He knew Harry meant business. The looter lowered his knife and dropped it on the ground before raising his hands._

_Harry moved forward, his gun still on the man. Something crackled behind him. Harry’s eyes widened as he spun around to face whatever the sound was when a shot rang out. His mouth dropped open as pain ripped through him. Brows furrowed in confusion, Harry’s hand moved to where the pain was coming from and saw his fingers stained red. He dropped to his knees, staring at the liquid dripping from his hand. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a gurgle spilled out as the man smirked and stalked over to him._

_He glared up at the alpha in front of him, moaning instead of speaking as he saw the glint of a gun get pointed at his chest. “Go. F-uck. Y - Yourself,” he managed to grit out, coughing blood out of his mouth._

_“You first,” came a dark voice as pain webbed from Harry’s chest._

_Harry collapsed onto his side, gasping as his insides were ablaze with agony and his nerves felt like they were on fire. He panted as he heard footsteps echoing away from him and glass crashed to the ground. He felt warmth pooling under him and the back of his uniform felt wet. Why was he wet? He wondered as everything went dark._

Harry’s body twitched, lips quivering as he whimpered in his sleep. His hands gripped the pillow under him. Sweat shimmered on his skin in the moonlight, beading on his hairline and dripping down his back.

Louis jolted from his sleep, the smell of fear thick in the air. “Harry?” Louis called out, heart racing as he was put on edge. When he received no reply, he dragged himself out of Harry’s bed and tip-toed out of the bedroom. “Harry?” He tried again, hands trembling as his voice wavered. He padded over to Harry and reached for Harry’s arm.

As something touched his arm, Harry’s body bolted into a sitting position and he raised his fist, ready to lash out at whatever touched him. As he was starting to throw his fist forward, his vision sharpened and he caught the scent of the boy.

Louis cried out, recoiling as Harry raised his fist. “P-please don’t,” he whimpered, ducking his head in submission.

Harry gasped as he realized it was Louis who had woken him. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he breathed, head whipping around as he tried to gather himself together again. “I didn’t realize it was you, I’m so sorry.”

Louis sniffled and looked up at Harry, hesitantly reaching a hand out towards Harry again. The alpha was panting and shaking, Louis could tell something was wrong. “Alpha?” He whispered and rested his hand on Harry’s cheek to ask for permission.

Harry’s gaze shot to Louis’ scared expression. He swallowed thickly and nodded. Louis needed it just as much as Harry did in this moment, so he allowed Louis to climb onto the couch with him. Louis laid himself down next to Harry, shivering from the cool air and fear that still coursed through him.

With a deep breath, Harry wrapped his arm around Louis and pulled him closer. “I’m sorry for scaring you,” he mumbled. Louis’ only reply was pressing closer to the alpha and tucking his head under his chin. Harry sighed and carded his fingers through Louis’ hair, combing his soft fringe to soothe himself.

Louis purred as Harry’s short nails scratched against his scalp, feeling what little muscle he had slowly relax. His eyes fluttered shut as he leaned into Harry’s touch.

The alpha couldn’t help but smile down at Louis. “Thanks for coming out here,” he whispered with a deep sigh as his scent began to change from fear to contentment.

Louis nodded and inhaled the air surrounding them deeply. “I was worried about you,” he admitted and placed a hand on Harry’s chest, feeling his heart beating in his chest. It was soothing, to feel the alpha under his touch and know that he was affecting the alpha enough for them to help each other.

“Sorry,” Harry began to apologize again until Louis’ finger pressed against his lips.

“Don’t. You don’t need to apologize,” Louis hummed and offered a small smile. “You can’t help what you dream.” He tilted his head and looked up at Harry. “What were you dreaming about?”

Harry shook his head. “That’s not for your ears.” He couldn’t bear to burden Louis with his own problems.

“Harry, please. You were sweating and crying. I want to be able to help you,” Louis insisted determinedly.

Closing his eyes, Harry tilted his head back and swallowed thickly. “I’m the one that’s supposed to protect you, not the other way around. I’m the alpha.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “I don’t care. We can mutually help each other and protect each other. We’re in this together, I’m not some helpless omega that can’t do anything. And I don’t want to be, either. I want us to be partners in this.”

Harry nodded slowly. “Partners. Right.” He brushed his hand down Louis’ back, noticing that Louis wasn’t as skinny as he was last week, he couldn’t feel each rib anymore which was a great sign. The sooner he recovered, the sooner Harry wouldn’t have to worry about his health. He had so much to worry about already and he was hoping Louis being healthy relieved some of that weight.

Louis’ eyes slipped shut, purring softly and pressing his cold nose against Harry’s chest. What he really wanted was to nuzzle up to Harry’s scent glands and fall asleep with Harry’s scent strong in his nose, but this would do for now. Within minutes, he was asleep with his breath puffing over his sweatshirt. Harry soon followed suit, nose tucked into Louis’ hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your thoughts are always appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

Louis woke before Harry the next morning, making a small humming noise as he stretched out his legs and cuddled closer to the alpha with his arms around him. His body flooded with happy warmth as Harry’s warm scent blanketed him comfortingly. He smelled of vanilla and pine, it was wonderful. The omega couldn’t help but allow himself to press his nose to Harry’s neck under his scent gland and inhale deeply, pine and smoke filling his head.

“Mmmmm,” Louis hummed and sighed contently as their scents blended. It felt so good to be with Harry like this and he only hoped that the alpha would enjoy it just as much as he did.

Harry grunted as he stirred, feeling an unfamiliar weight on top of him. Affection was thick in his veins with the softness of an omega curled up to him. He cracked open an eye, arms tightening around Louis as his nose tickled against Harry’s scent gland.

“Good morning, Alpha,” Louis whispered and sighed happily. “Sleep alright after your dream?” He asked and pulled his face away from Harry’s neck to look into his eyes, his hand trailing over his soft sweatshirt across his broad chest.

Harry rubbed at his eyes and nodded. “Yeah,” he said roughly with his voice deep and thick from sleep. With the weight of Louis on top of him, he had to be careful not to get aroused though Louis did make it terribly tempting.

Louis blushed at the tone of his voice, biting at his lip softly. “Good. You had a rough night.”

Harry shrugged and sat up a bit, jostling Louis into his lap on accident with the omega’s thighs on each side of Harry as he straddled his lap. “Sorry.” He mumbled and moved to help Louis out of his lap.

Louis grabbed his hand to stop him from moving him. “Can I stay here? It’s so comfortable,” he purred and wrapped the blanket over them both tighter around himself.

“Uh. Sure,” Harry agreed and looked away, hoping to calm himself down before he popped a boner with an unmated and unclaimed omega in his lap. “I was gonna get a start on breakfast, but it can wait a few minutes.”

“Okay, thank you.” Louis smiled to himself and rested his head on Harry’s strong shoulder. As they sat there for a few minutes, his happy pheromones oozed out of him and hung in the air. He hadn’t had an alpha so close in such a long time, it had been since his last boyfriend years ago and he was having a hard time not melting and becoming a pliant mess of an omega right here in Harry’s lap.

A loud grumble came from Louis’ stomach, making him blush as Harry chuckled. “Alright, time for breakfast,” the alpha hummed and patted Louis’ back. “Up you get.”

Louis pouted but crawled out of Harry’s lap anyway. “Fine.”

Harry laughed and stood up, stretching his arms above his head and grunting as his back cracked loudly. “Eggs fine with you?” He asked, shuffling over to the kitchen, completely unaware of the omega’s eyes running over his back and arms.

“Eggs are great.” Louis got to his feet and padded into the kitchen after Harry. “Can I help?”

Harry raised a brow and looked down at the omega. “You want to?”

Louis nodded and pushed the sleeves of Harry’s sweatshirt further up his arms. “I do. I like cooking and I want to be able to take care of you too because you do such a good job of taking care of me.”

With a cough, Harry tried to shove his alpha instincts down. “Sure,” he mumbled gruffly and passed over the eggs from the chicken coup. “Crack them in the bowl.”

The two worked side by side at the counter, Louis humming a tune under his breath quietly as he cracked eggs and picked any shells out of the bowl. Harry bit back a smile, watching Louis out of the corner of his eye.

After breakfast, Harry got dressed in a warm coat, boots, hat, and scarf while Louis watched from his spot on the couch. The snow was gently falling outside, casting shadows of blue and gray across the brush and trees surrounding their cozy cabin.

“Are you sure I can’t come with?” Louis pouted and batted his eyes at the alpha, hoping to convince him to let Louis tag along. He clasped his hands together in front of him and stepped closer to Harry, nuzzling his nose against Harry’s chest in an attempt to soften him up.

“Yes, Louis. I’m sure,” Harry nodded and grabbed his shotgun from its spot by the door. “I’ll be back this afternoon,” he promised. Louis offered Harry a smile and waved as he slipped out the door.

Harry arrived on the outskirts of the town a few hours later and dismounted from Jackson’s back with ease. “Whoa,” he murmured to stop Jackson from moving and tied his reins to a tree to shield him from the snow. He patted his neck and sighed. This had the potential to be a long and very cold day.

Harry grabbed his gun from the homemade leather scabbard and carried it against his shoulder as he walked towards town to check out the buildings. He headed straight for the building he had left the body in and carefully examined the building, finding nothing other than the body and signs of looting. He grunted as he pulled the body out of the building, able to easily ignore the scent of death on the dead alpha. He couldn’t leave it in the building for anyone else to come across, so he would bring it to the woods for the animals in the area to eat and dispose of the evidence of death.

After carrying the ragged man a safe distance, he shoved his hands into each of the alpha’s pockets and checked his belongings. In the fallen man’s hunting vest he found a handful of shotgun shells and a crumpled up and faded map. He grabbed it and shoved it in his pocket before walking back towards the town to continue his search of the area. He cleared the buildings one by one, finding no clues of anyone else but the man having been in town lately.

With every building having been checked and cleared, Harry crouched down and spread the map out on the sidewalk. He brushed the falling snow off of the paper and tried not to smudge any ink. There were a number of circles and marks on the map in red marker and faded pencil scratches. He studied it for a few more minutes, trying to figure out just exactly what the map was indicating. After a careful examination, he recognized one of the marks as the town he was in. By the looks of it, there was something marked on the map a few miles from here. He folded the map up again, careful not to rip the delicate paper, and stowed it back in his pocket for safekeeping.

Walking back over to his horse tethered just outside of town, Harry mounted Jackson once again and rode in the direction the map had indicated. It wasn’t far from town but the other spots on the map were at least twenty miles from his current location. The snow around them seemed untouched and the woods were completely silent. If there was anyone in the area, they had been hiding pretty well.

It had been a long while since there had been anyone in this area, and it was a bit disturbing that the man had been hiding this whole time in the woods. Harry had a feeling that it was a lone man, but he had to make sure. He couldn’t risk an ambush of any kind. He was a strong alpha and could easily handle one or two assailants, but any more than that and he wasn’t so sure the odds were in his favor.

As they ventured through the thick brush, Harry could see a few tracks through the woods, mostly just deer, bunny, and a few wild dogs. No human prints or tire tracks to indicate any humans. When he got closer to the location the map indicated, he began to notice footprints that had been snowed over. It looked like the prints were from a few days ago, before the second snow. He followed the prints for another half mile or so before he saw something in the distance.

A faded, reddish-brown shape was covered in snow under one of the large oak trees in the grove, providing a bit of shelter from rain or wind.

“Whoa,” he murmured and swung off Jackson’s back. With the horse secured, he took the safety off his shotgun and slowly made his way over to what had appeared to be a tent. Snow glistened around him and muffled his footsteps, making it difficult for anyone to hear him coming. As he closed in on the tent, he could tell something was wrong. There was an awful smell hanging in the air, it smelled sickly and dark. It almost smelled evil, if evil had a scent.

Harry steeled himself with a shaky breath as he walked closer, gritting his teeth in determination until he was upon the old red tent. He held the shotgun up and took another deep breath before ripping the tent flap open to look inside. His stomach turned and he recoiled instantly, staggering backward with a hand over his mouth.

There, lying in the corner of the tent was what used to be an omega. Harry squeezed his eyes shut and turned, his stomach emptying itself into the bushes. It made sense now. The man had lived here with the omega and it appeared that he had killed her recently, judging by the state of the wound on her neck. Harry could hardly bear to think of what else this poor omega may have gone through at the hands of the alpha.

Harry’s mind thought back to the previous day and the knife that had been in the man’s hand when Harry had shot. Suddenly, he didn’t feel bad at all for killing him without a second thought. That man was evil. He could tell just from his short glance that the omega in the tent had been hurt in many ways and it hung heavily in the air around the tent that some bad things had happened there.

He wiped the sick from around his mouth and panted, light-headed from the image of an omega in that condition. As an alpha, it physically pained him to see an omega hurt or even worse. His instincts screamed at him to try to save the omega, but he knew she was already gone. There was nothing he could do for her but he wished he could have stopped this from happening. He could barely control the feeling of inadequacy and failure that crept through him, knowing that he hadn’t done his alpha duties of protecting omegas. He put the safety back on and walked back over to Jackson, unable to be around the smell for another second. He climbed onto his horse and turned back to get far away from the tent.

Harry urged Jackson into a gallop and rode away from the tent and the horror of it all as fast as he could, his stomach still turning at the image burned in his eyes. He thought of Louis. That could easily have been Louis’ fate if Harry hadn’t shown up. Louis was just a few miles from this place and he could have been found by that other alpha instead. The feeling settled in his stomach, making him want to be sick all over again. He pulled back on Jackson’s reins and jumped off of him, landing on his knees as he lost the rest of his breakfast. The thought alone of Louis being hurt or touched by another alpha made him feel as though he was being strangled as his throat tightened. That sweet omega could have faced the same fate as the girl in the tent, but he didn’t it was Harry’s job now to protect him and make sure that would never happen. He knew Louis didn’t have an alpha, but he vowed to step in and take care of Louis as if he was his own, to protect him and never let any harm come to him.

He bit down harshly on his lip as he climbed back into the saddle. He clicked his tongue and they raced through the white-washed woods as snow flicked up under his horse’s hooves in a flurry of powder, blinking the prickling feeling in his eyes away as he hurried home. He had seen no other signs of life and was convinced that the alpha was the only one in the area. He knew he would need to eventually return and continue his search of the other areas marked on the map, but he needed to see Louis as soon as he could.

By the time Harry had returned home, he no longer felt like he would be sick, but he still felt a little uneasy and eager to see Louis. But only to make sure he was okay, he told himself. As he unmounted his horse and released him into the makeshift barn, he rubbed his hands together and breathed on them to warm them up. He checked on the animals while he was there before returning to the cabin and stepping inside with shivering hands.

Louis perked up as Harry entered but the smile disappeared almost as soon as it had spread across his cheeks, having noticed Harry’s scent was different. It wasn’t as smooth as it usually was, there was an edge to it that reminded him of burnt earth. “Alpha?” He asked, padding over to him and looking up at him with concern evident in his clear blue eyes.

Harry took off his hat and jacket before pulling Louis into a hug, the pain in his chest lingering. “Omega,” he murmured and closed his eyes as he allowed himself this moment to hold him and know that he was safe.

“What’s wrong?” Louis asked, pressing his cheek to Harry’s chest but looking up at the taller man.

Harry knew he couldn’t lie to Louis this time, so he buried his nose in Louis’ hair and inhaled his scent, ripe peaches and sweet cream seeping into his nose and floating to his mind. “Saw something awful out there. It was horrible. I just need a minute, knowing you’re okay,” he mumbled and felt Louis relax in his arms.

“I am. I’m okay,” Louis promised, wrapping his arms around Harry and pressing a kiss to Harry’s chest. “I’m alright, you’re keeping me safe.”

“I’m sorry. I know this might be too much to ask, but can I scent you? I just. It hurts and I think I need to just do this,” Harry said under his breath. He couldn’t explain it but he knew his alpha would only be able to calm down once his scent was on Louis and he had marked him as protected by an alpha.

Louis blushed and nodded shyly, his breath catching in his throat in anticipation. “Y – Yeah. Whatever you need.” He looked up at Harry with wide eyes and spread his palms across the alpha’s chest, feeling the thick muscles under his fingers.

Harry sighed in relief and ducked his head to nuzzle against Louis’ neck, taking deep breaths of the omega’s scent and letting it wash over him. He hummed deep in his chest, almost a growl, and nosed at the gland behind Louis’ ear. “Fuck,” he whispered with what felt like a head full of cotton. Louis smelled so good, like peaches. He rubbed his nose against the glands there, his mouth falling open as he inhaled deeply

Louis held back a whimper, heat crawling through his body and settling in his bones. Harry’s breath fanned against his neck in the most delicious way and sent a shiver down his spine. He did his best to will himself not to get wet but he could tell that his scent had taken on a slightly sweeter smell. It set a fire in his bones, feeling Harry so close to where an alpha’s bond mark would eventually go.

“Omega,” Harry breathed, tightening his hold on Louis’ side as he brushed his lips against his skin. His scent was intoxicating, the heavy scent of a ripe peach dipped in sugar. He groaned and his tongue darted out to wet his lips, catching the taste of Louis’ skin. Pulling Louis somehow even closer, he wrapped his arms around his skinny waist and kissed over the omega’s scent glands as they oozed such a beautiful scent. He could feel his cock begin to stir and reluctantly pulled away, stepping away from Louis to catch his breath. “I’m sorry,” he panted with eyes as dark as the evergreen trees in the moonlight.

Louis blinked up at Harry, a little dazed from the close contact and being scented by an alpha. “I’m not,” he whispered, aching to reach out for Harry again. His fingers twitched with want as he longed to grab Harry and wrap himself around him.

“I didn’t mean to um. Y’know,” Harry cleared his voice and rubbed his face with his hands to try to snap himself out of his alpha headspace. “I’m sorry for scenting you. I know I’m not your alpha.”

Louis frowned. “No, but that doesn’t mean you can’t scent me. You needed to. It’s okay to listen to your instincts when you need something. It felt nice, and you smell really good.” Louis smiled up at Harry and reached out to squeeze Harry’s hand.

Harry chuckled softly and shook his head. “You don’t even know how much better you smell,” he admitted and turned to the kitchen to make dinner, his cock hanging heavily between his legs as he worked on still fighting off an erection. He didn’t want to make things weird between the two of them, though he could smell arousal on Louis too. They hadn’t had a conversation about that, and he wanted to make sure Louis would actually want that if he was in his right mind. 

Louis blushed and followed Harry, wanting to be close to the alpha. “What do I smell like?” He asked, looping his finger around Harry’s belt loop just to have something of Harry’s to touch.

“Peaches,” Harry murmured and pulled out a bag of noodles and dried garlic and an onion for dinner. “You smell like peaches and sugar. I oughta start calling you Peaches.”

Louis grinned up at Harry and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “I’d love that,” he hummed and backed away before Harry could react. “Can I help make dinner?”

Harry bit his lip and nodded, clearing his throat he returned his attention to the food. He passed a cutting board and a knife to Louis and nodded at the onion. Louis smiled and took the vegetable, sighing in contentment as he began chopping the onion while Harry worked on the noodles and sauce. They worked together in peace, moving around one another with ease as they both worked to prepare their dinner.

Dinner was quiet that night, Harry lost in his thoughts, and Louis just happy to have Harry’s scent on him. It was a wonderful feeling to know that his and Harry’s scents were mingling on his skin. Louis let his mind wander as they ate quietly to the possibilities of a life here in the small cabin with Harry. He really enjoyed spending time with Harry and he was happy to be getting to know Harry better, though he could tell Harry still held some of his secrets close and wasn’t ready to share them yet. Louis didn’t mind, he knew he would be able to build Harry’s trust and earn the privilege of knowing Harry deeper.

After dinner, Louis insisted on taking care of the dishes while Harry relaxed. Louis was honestly just happy to have something to do, and it made him feel much better to be performing a few omega duties, especially for Harry. The alpha sat on the beat-up couch and watched Louis flit around the kitchen, grabbing various dirty dishes and adding them to the sink. When the little omega turned around after scrubbing them clean, Harry grinned at the clump of bubbles stuck to Louis’ cheek.

Harry got to his feet and wandered over to Louis, looping an arm around the omega’s waist, and reached up with the other to softly brush the bubbles off his cheek. “You’re a little sudsy there, Peaches.”

Louis blushed and giggled, reaching his own hand up to wipe at his cheek again. “Oops.” He smiled and gazed up at Harry, mapping out each feature of his face. “I really like the beard,” he hummed and dragged a finger across Harry’s jaw to the corner of his mouth, watching as Harry’s tongue darted out of his mouth to wet his lips. “Very manly and tough-looking.”

Harry clenched his jaw as Louis’ finger brushed against his skin, his eyes trained intensely on the omega’s soft features. This sweet little creature was going to be the death of him, truly. Louis tested every ounce of self-control Harry had without even knowing it and Harry both loved and hated it at the same time. “Thank you.”

Louis nodded and leaned up on his tip-toes to press his lips to Harry’s cheek. “You’re welcome, Alpha,” he whispered and turned to go get his laundry from the line on the porch.

Harry watched Louis, his eyes dark with want as the omega moved towards the bedroom with his pile of clean clothes. When the boy was out of sight, Harry took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. “Keep it together, Styles,” he muttered under his breath and pulled his boots on to check on the animals in the barn one last time before bed.

Louis heard the door slam shut as Harry left and peeked out the window of the bedroom before slipping out of the sweatpants and sweatshirt Harry had let him borrow. He slipped the boxers down his thighs and folded the clothing items neatly at the foot of the bed before sorting through his clothes and picking out what he wanted to wear. He slid a pair of navy lace panties up his legs and over his bum, grasping each globe in his hands to check if he had gained any weight in that area. It felt like he’d maybe gained a little weight, which was good. Louis pulled a pair of soft pajama shorts out of his pile of clothes and added a soft lilac sweater that was much too big for him. He took his time taking care of the remaining pieces of laundry and arranged them in an empty drawer in the second-hand dresser in the corner of the room.

When he heard Harry return to the cabin, he pulled on a pair of socks and poked his head out the bedroom door. “Harry?” He called out and smiled when Harry rounded the corner. “Where would you like me to put the laundry?”

Harry smiled at the sight of Louis cozied up in a loose pastel sweater, he looked positively lovely. “I can take them,” he offered.

Louis shook his head. “No, I want to do it.” In truth, Louis really wanted to fulfill some of his omega duties, he hadn’t been able to really perform many of them with his limited strength but he could definitely take care of his own laundry.

“Okay. Just in the basket in the room is fine.” Harry nodded and let his gaze slide down Louis’ body, noting how his legs looked beautifully soft and supple. He wished he could lick them, which is a thought he didn’t think he would have when Louis first moved into his cabin.

Louis placed the clothes in the basket and tucked his bottom lip in between his teeth. The urge to please Harry was growing in him, spreading through him with the need to do what Harry told him to and submit to him. Louis would admit that he desperately wanted Harry to court him, but it seemed like there was something in the way that kept the alpha from beginning the courting process. It was beyond frustrating. He wanted Harry to care for him and protect him, and fucking _touch_ him.

He had adored having Harry scent him and could still feel the alpha’s scent ghosting over his skin even after two hours. He was at a loss of what to do to show Harry he was interested and he wished he had another omega to ask for advice from.

That night with Louis tucked into the bed in the other room, Harry lay awake on the couch. He was having a hard time shutting his brain off and now that Louis wasn’t in the room, his mind wandered back to the trail of thoughts of bad things happening to him. With a frustrated huff, Harry got back up and pulled his stash of sleeping pills out of their hiding place. He really only used them when the flashbacks were extra terrible, or his anxiety was kicking in so much that he couldn’t sleep. Given the events of the day, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep without them. Harry popped them in his mouth and easily swallowed them dry before returning to his bed on the couch. His back was already hurting from just one night on the couch. He closed his eyes, thinking through how he was going to build the next addition for the extra bedroom, and thought about how he would make it special for Louis. His heart beats felt like they were steadying and his breaths came slower.

_Something wasn’t right. Harry sniffed the air and darted his eyes around the canyon, seeing nothing but white snow and rocks jutting out from the earth. Fear. Dread. Hurt. The smell of decaying peaches wafted through the frigid breeze, slow at first and then all at once as it overwhelmed Harry’s senses._

_Louis._

_Harry’s heart beat harder in his chest, feeling like it was smashing against his rib cage with every beat. His head whipped around wildly, short curls blowing in the wind as he searched for the source. The snow was picking up, snowflakes blowing in a flurry of white and stung Harry’s cheeks._

_“Louis!” He called out, squinting his eyes to try to see through the snow._

_Nothing._

_Harry started off to the left, having no idea if that’s where the scent was coming from but it was at least a start. Dread was thick in his veins, weighing down his limbs as the alpha fought his way through the snow. It was so thick, if only Harry had his horse to ride to get through the snow._

_His hands felt like icicles, he stuffed them under his arms and quickened his pace. The sound of his heart pounding filled his ears as he jogged through two feet of snow there in the empty canyon._

_“Louis!” Harry yelled again, the feeling of something horrifying creeping up the back of his neck as he followed the canyon walls. He looked down at where his feet were disappearing into the snow and his heart practically stopped to see a single drop of red there in the snow._

_Harry’s eyes widened and he hurried along the canyon floor, taking shaky breaths into his freezing lungs like ice crystallizing in his lungs and keeping his eyes trained on the snow. Another drop. Six more feet. Another drop. Five feet. Another._

_Panic climbed up Harry’s throat, the alpha picking up speed until he was running through the snow following the drops of blood. He rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks._

_There, in the flurry of snow and ice stood a tent. Red and brown from dirt with snow covering the top, hanging heavily on the tent._

_“Louis!” Harry screamed and sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him towards the little red tent. With each step, it felt like the tent moved further and further away. Cold sweat beaded at his hairline and dripped down his temples and down the line of his spine._

_Harry yelled out in frustration, just running impossibly harder towards Louis in that tent. He gained some ground with his doubled efforts, sweat now pouring down his face. By the time he reached the tent, his chest was heaving rapidly with each painful breath._

_The alpha ripped the flap of the tent open, letting out a wrecked sob at seeing Louis in the corner, or what used to be Louis. He scrambled over to the omega, tears slipping down his cheeks as he reached out a shaky hand to touch his white skin, recoiling at how cold it was._

_“Oh, Louis,” Harry cried, pulling the boy to his chest and rocking back and forth with the petite boy cradled against his chest in nothing but a white nightgown. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth._

Harry gasped as his eyes sprung open, his entire body shaking with rage and desperation as he rocketed off the couch. His chest heaved and his brain clouded with a million emotions at once, swarming in his head like a hive of angry bees. He pulled at his hair that was damp with sweat, panting as he stumbled to his feet. Louis. Louis needed to be safe.

Harry’s eyes were wide and frantic when he slipped into the bedroom, darting over to the bed to check on the omega. Relief spread through him, but it was thin like fog. Without hesitation and without thinking, he pulled back the covers and climbed in behind Louis. He trembled and pulled Louis across the bed, waking him in the process.

Louis grumbled softly as he was pulled from his slumber, ears suddenly alert as he heard what sounded like a whimper. His eyes fluttered open, feeling Harry’s tense body behind him. “H?” He whispered, craning his neck back to see a distraught Harry behind him with wild eyes. Louis frowned and rolled over onto his other side to face Harry. “Alpha, what’s wrong?”

Harry shook his head and clenched his eyes shut, pulling Louis against his chest and holding him there tightly. Louis’ chest ached as Harry’s troubled scent of burning pine seeped into the room around them. “Alpha, I’m here,” the boy said softly, settling his small hand on Harry’s cheek. “It’s okay. Everything is alright.”

Harry tried to wipe his tear away before Louis could see, but it was too late. Louis’ thumb skated across his skin as he rid the tears from his face. He did his best to release calming pheromones into the air, focusing on the feeling of Harry’s broad chest pressed against him and their legs tangled beneath the sheets.

Louis was relieved to feel some of the tension release from the muscles in Harry’s back and he tilted his head to the side to bare his neck, offering it up for Harry. “Let me help you,” he whispered and guided Harry to his scent glands, combing his fingers through Harry’s curls as the alpha’s nose pressed against his neck. “See, I’m safe.”

Peaches wafted through Harry’s mind, cutting through the chaos of screams and visions of red snow. His nose found the source of the smell, inhaling the sweet aroma of peach cobbler and sugar. The omega’s calming scent sunk into Harry and settled in his bones, wrapping around him and pulling him out of his panicked state of terror. Peaches and cream, he focused on as he slowly crawled out of his mind.

“I’m alright, Alpha. I’m here for you,” came the soft whisper of an omega – his omega. Harry gripped Louis’ waist, lips trembling as he pressed them against Louis’ glands, and breathed in his sweet scent. It rippled through him, lighting up the dark and flooding his chest with more emotion than he knew what to do with.

Harry slowly blinked, coming out of the state of trauma with the help of the small omega in his arms.

“There you are,” Louis murmured as he sensed Harry’s calmed breathing and his change in scent. He brushed the hair off Harry’s face and scratched against the back of his neck gently. “You had another bad dream?”

Harry nodded shakily, burrowing his face deeper into Louis’ neck with a deep breath. He slid his hand down Louis’ side and rested it on his thigh, asking for permission to move it. When he felt Louis’ leg go slack, he lifted it and wrapped it around his waist, his hand skating over the silky smooth and buttery soft skin. “Omega,” Harry mumbled, letting his tongue slip out from between his lips and dragged it over Louis’ scent glands. “Mine,” he grumbled protectively and lathed his tongue over the column of his neck to claim him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? I'd love to hear them! Let me know if you have any ideas as well, I may not use them but I appreciate hearing what you would like to see!


	6. Chapter 6

It had been almost two weeks since Harry’s dream about Louis, and luckily his dreams had stayed mostly innocent in that handful of days. Louis, quite honestly, was getting a bit annoyed by the lack of progression in their dynamic. Harry rarely touched him in more than a friendly way despite Louis’ attempts to instigate courting through preparing meals and cleaning for Harry.

Even this morning, Louis was making homemade dough for bread and Harry was out in the barn. He had passed Louis wearing one of his shirts and no pants but not a word. Louis huffed to himself as he kneaded the dough, taking his aggression out on the lump of dough.

Louis felt a tiny bit better as he slipped the dough into the oven, feeling accomplished at his first loaf of bread from the homemade flour he and Harry had made a few days ago. He cleaned up the blankets where Harry had been sleeping, pausing to press one to his nose and inhale his scent deeply with a purr. Harry’s scent always helped to calm him down, even though Harry was the one he was annoyed at.

Louis dropped the blanket as Harry walked in, blushing that he had been caught sniffing his scent on his things. He cleared his throat and folded the remaining blankets neatly into a pile on the couch. Harry averted his eyes and set a dead chicken on the counter before disappearing into the bathroom.

The omega frowned at the chicken, annoyance flickering through him at the mess it was making on the counter he had just cleaned up. His eyes narrowed at the chicken as he emitted a growl. Fuck that stupid alpha if he was going to make a mess of Louis’ hard work to please him. Louis huffed and stomped his foot, grabbing the chicken by the foot and carrying it between two fingers. He stomped his feet and shoved open the bathroom door.

Harry jumped as Louis opened the door, standing in the middle of the bathroom in only his jeans. “Uh, hello? Ever heard of knocking?”

Louis glared, though he knew it didn’t come off as threatening at all. He held up the chicken and dropped it into the bathtub, blood splattering against the porcelain. “Ever heard of not making a mess of my kitchen, dummy?” Louis growled softly and turned on his heel.

Harry blinked as the omega turned and left with the chicken Harry had given him laying in the bathtub. It was supposed to be a courting gift for Louis. When Harry was younger he had given many gifts to the omega he had been interested in but here in the middle of the woods he didn’t have access to jewelry or nice things to give Louis. He thought a chicken would be a good gift because he knew Louis liked to cook and it would be nice to eat fresh-cooked chicken.

Harry sighed and shook his head. He’d try harder next time and hopefully, Louis wouldn’t reject his courting gift again. He stepped under the spray of the shower, rinsing off the sweat and blood from butchering the chicken. When he finished up, he took the chicken and brought it outside to pluck it so he wouldn’t dirty Louis’ kitchen again.

Louis pulled the bread out of the oven and turned it onto a cooling rack, being careful not to burn his fingers. He draped a towel over the loaf of bread and set out some of the frozen butter Harry had been saving. When Harry came back into the cabin with the plucked chicken, Louis turned up his nose and looked away from him.

“I’m sorry, Peaches. I didn’t mean to make a mess,” Harry murmured and set the chicken in the sink.

Louis huffed and crossed his arms. “I work hard to keep this place clean.”

Harry nodded and reached out for Louis’ hand. “You do. I really appreciate how hard you work to keep our home clean.”

Louis blushed down at their hands and tried to convince himself to stay angry at Harry. When Harry squeezed his hand, he swallowed thickly and looked back up at Harry, his eyes a little softer.

Harry stepped forward and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. “Thank you for being so good,” he said softly before turning to gut the chicken. He watched Louis scurry off and chuckled to himself.

When Harry had finished cleaning the chicken, he wrapped it in cling film around it and set it in the fridge for Louis to season and cook with later. He hadn’t realized his courting gift wouldn’t exactly be what Louis wanted, so now he had to think of something new. Harry bundled up in his winter clothes and stood on the porch, lighting a cigarette. He squinted against the bright white snow and took a drag on the cigarette, letting it seep into his lungs. It was a terrible habit, he knew. He had picked it up when he became a cop and would occasionally smoke one when he was trying to clear his mind or calm himself down.

He sat on the edge of the steps on the porch and sighed, watching smoke puff and float up and away from him. As he looked around, he figured he could maybe get a start on the addition for Louis’ bedroom. He held the cigarette between his lips and walked over to the ax and chopping block that he had set up by the woodshed.

As he chopped wood, he hummed an old country song from his childhood. Pretty soon he was working up a sweat so he pulled his coat off and hung it up on a branch from a nearby tree before returning to his ax. He glanced over to the cabin and saw Louis’ head duck from where he had been peering through a window. He let out a fond chuckle and rolled his eyes at the silly younger boy before swinging the ax down hard on a piece of wood, splitting it clear in two.

Once he was satisfied with what he had split so far, he wandered over to the back of the cabin where he planned on building the addition. He took his time mapping out where the walls would go, his brow furrowing as he scribbled plans down on a piece of paper with a worn-down pencil.

“Harry?” Came a soft voice from the cabin.

The alpha lifted his head and tucked the pencil behind his ear. “Yeah?” He hummed and wiped the dirt from his hands.

Louis slipped out the back door of the cabin in his leggings, boots, and jacket with a mug in his hands. “You looked cold. I made you some tea,” he murmured and held it out to Harry.

“Thanks, Lou.” Harry walked over and accepted the mug, taking a small sip of the hot tea so he didn’t burn his tongue.

Louis looked around at a couple of beams laid out in the snow. “What exactly are you doing?” He asked curiously, picking up the sheet of paper with the construction plans scribbled on them.

“I’m working on the addition. Thought it was about time we each had a room. The couch is starting to fuck up my back,” Harry explained, taking a seat on the steps next to Louis’ feet.

“Oh.” Louis frowned, biting at the inside of his cheek. “Well, you could always take the bed.”

Harry shook his head. “No, you get the bed,” he insisted, kicking some snow off the steps.

“But your back hurts,” Louis huffed, his instincts making him want to keep the alpha comfortable and happy. “Why can’t you just share the bed with me for now?” He asked shyly, a blush tinting his cheeks as he avoided looking at the alpha.

Harry raised his brows in surprise and narrowed his eyes as he weighed the options. He would love to get to cuddle with Louis and share his bed, but he also knew that if they slept in the same bed it may confuse their biology. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he murmured hesitantly.

Louis let out a frustrated noise and stomped his foot. “Damn it, Harry! Why is that such a bad idea?” He whined, his tummy turning in knots at having the alpha deny him.

Harry bit back a fond smile at how pouty Louis was. “It could put us in a position that we’re not ready to be in. What would happen if you were to wake up in the middle of the night in heat? I don’t want things to happen between us just because our bodies are screaming at us to give in to our instincts. I’m pretty good at controlling myself, but I don’t want to be in a situation where you’re begging me and I have to walk away. It’s safer for us to have different rooms.”

Louis glared at Harry and crossed his arms. “Am I that repulsive to you? Is the idea of us mating that awful?” He could hardly keep the whimper out of his voice, his scent tinging with a slightly sour scent.

Harry frowned, shaking his head. “That’s not what I meant, Lou. I don’t think you’re repulsive at all, I promise. You’re far from awful.” He reached out his hand and grabbed Louis’ in his own, pulling him down to sit next to him. “I don’t want that to happen because I don’t want you to be with me just because I’m the only option. There are other alphas out there in the communities south. I never want you to feel trapped here with me.”

Louis’ bottom lip trembled as he pouted but he tried to hold himself together so he wouldn’t cry and embarrass himself.

“Shhh, it’s okay. Come here,” Harry murmured and wrapped his arms around the omega, hugging him gently. Louis melted in his arms, his scent sweetening up again as the alpha soothed him with his fingers running through his hair.

Harry held Louis close for a few minutes, pressing his lips to the boy’s temple. He knew he couldn’t wait too much longer to properly court Louis. He wanted to do things the proper way, the way his grandmama taught him when he was younger. There was supposed to be an order to mating an omega, you always start with courting with gifts, food, and cuddles before moving to the next step. He wanted to treat Louis right and let him have the full mating experience to earn his companionship.

Harry’s hands trembled anxiously, though he tried to hide it from Louis as he busied himself with checking his backpack. He hated being back here, especially after he came across the tent. He should have left the omega at the cabin but Louis was too persistent to let Harry come alone.

After their discussion the day before, Harry had decided to make yet another trip into town to search for a courting gift as well as pick up a few extra supplies for his construction project. He’d have to find the perfect spot to hide Louis, too paranoid to bring Louis back into the city.

Harry spotted a house tucked behind a bunch of trees and pulled out his gun, slowly opening the front door and listening. He didn’t hear anything, so he wandered from room to room, making sure there was nobody hiding in any closets or under any beds. Once he was satisfied that the house was completely safe, he stepped back outside.

“Louis!” He called out, watching as Louis hurried over to the alpha. “I’m going to go into town. You need to stay here, okay?”

Louis opened his mouth in rebuttal, an annoyed look flashing across his face.

“Omega. I’m not asking,” Harry warned. “Stay here until I get back. Do not leave this house unless I am here. Don’t walk outside, don’t stand in any open windows, don’t answer the door for anyone but me. Do you understand me?”

Louis nodded obediently. “Yes, Alpha,” he murmured.

“Thank you. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Harry brushed a bit of hair off Louis’ forehead and pressed a kiss on the uncovered skin.

“Please be safe,” Louis mumbled, throwing his arms around Harry tightly.

“I will be. I’ll be back soon, Peaches.” He turned and slipped out of the house, taking a deep breath to center himself. Harry climbed back into the car and headed back towards the main area in town.

Harry parked the car outside one of the small shops in town, glancing around for signs of anyone else. He rested a hand on his holstered gun as he crept through one of the buildings, always keeping an eye out for danger. He wandered from store to store, looking for a good gift or two for Louis. It needed to be perfect for the omega. The chicken obviously hadn’t worked and Harry didn’t want to screw this up another time.

As he wandered through the stores, he would pick something up and look at it before sighing and setting it back down after deciding it wasn’t good enough. Along the way, he did pick up a few boxes of pancake mix, syrup, and a handful of cans and tubs that he stuffed in his duffle bag and backpack.

Harry did find a jewelry store but wasn’t totally surprised to find it completely empty. As the hour dragged on, his disappointment was mounting. He let out a frustrated growl, kicking a box next to the counter and sending it flying across the empty store. Harry slammed his fist against the counter, wincing slightly as the skin on a knuckle split. “Fuck,” he swore and sucked on the cut on his hand, looking down and seeing something shimmer.

Harry furrowed his brows and crouched down, noticing a small crystal figurine of a heart. A grin spread across his face as he picked it up and held it in his palm. Now they were talking. He found some tissue paper behind the counter and carefully rolled the little figurine that was no bigger than three inches tall in the paper. He slipped it into his pocket and crept back out of the store, a grin now sealed on his face.

He stopped in a few more places to grab some blankets as a gift for Louis, thinking he could scent them and give them to Louis to add to his nest. With bags full of supplies and gifts, Harry wandered back through the streets to the car.

When he got back to the house he had hidden Louis in, he knocked on the front door for Louis to come down and let him in. “Omega, it’s me,” he called out, listening for signs that Louis had heard him. He could hear the scampering of feet behind the door and he chuckled as the omega threw open the door.

“Harry!” Louis grinned happily, his eyes twinkling as he beamed up at Harry and jumped into his arms. A soft chirping noise coming from him that omegas often made when they were excited.

Harry laughed as he caught Louis, hands braced under Louis’ thighs as he jumped on him. “Hey, Peachie. Miss me?” He teased and kissed the omega’s cheek.

Louis nodded and hopped back down. “I found something for you.”

“Oh, really?” Harry hummed, letting Louis grab his hand and drag him into the house.

Louis giggled and ran over to the ripped up couch and grabbed the guitar that was sitting on it. “I found a guitar! You said a few weeks ago that you used to play and I want to hear you play sometime.”

Harry grinned and nodded. “Thanks, Lou. I can play something for you later, let’s go home.”

“Why don’t we go for a walk?” Louis suggested hopefully.

“We can closer to the house. I don’t like being out here, it’s not safe,” Harry hummed, resting his hand on the small of Louis’ back and nudging him towards the front door.

Louis pouted but followed Harry back to the car, wishing Harry wasn’t so paranoid.

When they returned to the house that evening, Harry parked the car and hauled everything inside for Louis, setting the guitar down in the living room. He watched Louis leave to go into the bathroom before he pulled the blanket out of the duffle bag. Harry pressed it to his neck and rubbed it over his scent glands as he pushed out his soothing alpha scent to make the blanket smell like him. He took his time, making sure the blanket had soaked in all of his scent before he did his best to fold the blanket neatly.

When Louis emerged from the bathroom, Harry sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and watched Louis anxiously. The omega noticed the change in mood and paused when he stepped into the living room.

Harry cleared his throat and picked up the blanket. “I um. I got you something while I was out,” he murmured, more nervous for this than he had anticipated he would be. He ducked his head as Louis walked over to him and took the blanket.

Louis’ eyes were wide as he took the blanket, already catching a whiff of Harry’s scent on the blanket. “Did you scent it?”

Harry nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he watched Louis examine his first courting gift. He hoped Louis would like it, especially after the chicken incident. The boy’s cheeks tinted pink as he lifted the blanket to his nose and sniffed, a huge smile spreading across his face. Harry let out a deep breath and smiled, Louis had liked it.

The omega buried his face in the blanket, purring softly as he inhaled Harry’s thick scent. It would be perfect for adding to the nest he had built on the bed. Pine, vanilla, and bonfire smoke filled his lungs and ignited a warm feeling in his tummy. “It’s perfect,” he whispered.

“Yeah? You like it?” Harry asked, heart beating heavily in his chest. The omega nodded and when he stepped closer to Harry, the alpha pulled him into a hug and nuzzled the top of his head. The boy in his arms let out a small cooing noise, pressing closer to Harry.

Louis giggled into the fabric of the blanket that was so soft and fluffy against his skin, he couldn’t wait to add it to his nest and get to cuddle with it at night. He lifted his head and leaned up to kiss Harry’s cheek. “Thank you, Alpha,” he whispered and nosed against his dimpled cheek.

“You wanna go add it to your nest?” Harry asked, skating his hands up and down Louis’ back. He chuckled when the omega nodded eagerly and rushed off to the bedroom. While he was gone, Harry hid the crystal figurine on top of one of the cupboards so he could save it for the right moment.

Louis hummed happily as he searched for the perfect place to put the blanket. He tried at the bottom but wrinkled his nose as soon as it was there, moving it to the top next to his pillow before climbing into the nest. He had started building it shortly after Harry had his nightmare, needing a cozy and comfortable place that both he and Harry could cuddle in, though Harry hadn’t been in it yet. Louis rolled over in the nest and decided he was happy with the placement of the blanket.

Being in his nest with Harry’s scent cloaking him with warmth was sending goosebumps over his skin. Louis couldn’t help but press his nose into the blanket, shivering at the crisp pine and woodsy smells. He bit his lip, feeling slick gathering in the back of his panties in excitement over receiving a gift like this from Harry. Louis closed his eyes and let out a small whimper, his body feeling warm and feverish.

Harry added a few more logs to the furnace and was just about to get a few things pulled out of the fridge to start dinner with the light scent of sweet peaches drifted into the kitchen. He froze, hand on an onion when he caught a whiff of Louis’ scent mixed with arousal. He dropped the vegetable and brushed off his hands as he walked to the bedroom and peeked inside. His pants tightened at the image of Louis laying in the middle of his nest with his face in his courting gift and his body trembling slightly.

“Baby?” The alpha murmured, stepping into the room and groaning at the delicious aroma of slick mixed with Louis’ natural scent.

Louis looked up at Harry and mewled, making grabby hands at him.

Harry sucked in a breath and held it, stepping up to the bed. “Can I come into your nest, Omega?” He asked, feeling himself thicken in his jeans at the smell and look of the petite boy in what used to be his bed.

Louis nodded eagerly, grabbing Harry’s sweater and pulling him closer. “Please,” he murmured and guided Harry to the perfect spot within his nest. When the alpha was situated in his carefully constructed pile of blankets and pillows, Louis tucked himself into Harry’s side and sighed happily. “Alpha.”

He purred as Harry’s hand found its way to his waist, wiggling closer to the alpha and tucking one of his legs between his so he was lying half on top of him. He inhaled Harry’s scent deeply and it went straight to his slicked up hole.

Harry’s breath caught in his chest, tightening his arm around Louis. He lifted Louis’ face towards him with a finger under his chin and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and then one to his chin, nose, and corner of his mouth, feeling the omega melt into mush with each kiss until Harry finally kissed him where he really wanted to.

Louis’ lovely lips tasted softly of peaches mixed with the vanilla pudding they had for lunch. When their lips connected, the omega could feel his slick ooze out of him and it made his head feel fuzzy in the best way. Harry groaned as Louis’ scent filled the air, doing his best not to rut up against him. He felt the omega’s hands slip under his shirt and his abs flinched as his long-sleeved shirt was pulled up a little.

Louis reveled in the hard muscles under his hand. In the five weeks that he’d been staying with Harry, he had yet to actually see him shirtless or in anything with short sleeves. He had known that Harry had muscles, but up until this point, he’d never felt them. Louis climbed the rest of the way on top of Harry, straddling his waist in the middle of his nest as Harry licked into his mouth. He whimpered, a heady feeling settling behind his eyes when he felt just how much Harry was enjoying this too.

Harry dug his fingers into the omega’s sides, fighting himself to stay in control of what he was doing so he didn’t mount him and breed him right here and now. When Louis’ hips started moving against his own, Harry pulled back for air. “Lou, we need to breathe for a minute. Let’s take a break.”

Louis whimpered, shaking his head as he burrowed his face against Harry’s neck and rubbed his nose against his scent glands, grinding down on Harry as slick dripped between his cheeks and created a wet patch in the front of his panties and soaked through his leggings. “Please, Alpha. I need you,” he whined, mouthing at Harry’s neck.

Harry bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to just stay in control. “Baby, no. We can’t,” he murmured, his hands itching to grab a handful of Louis’ ass.

“Why not? You’re hard for me and I’m so wet, I want it. I want you to knot me,” Louis mewled, flinching when Harry’s hands caught his hips firmly and made him stop the movement of his hips.

“I’m sorry, I want to but we can’t yet. Fuck, I want to so bad but not yet.” Harry swallowed thickly and sat up with Louis still straddling him. “I want to do this right.”

Louis’ lower lip trembled as he ducked his head sadly, slick still leaking through his leggings and onto Harry. “But we both want to,” he whined.

Harry nodded and brushed the hair out of Louis’ face. “I know, sweetie.” He sighed and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Please trust me.”

Louis sniffled and bobbed his head reluctantly, sighing sadly as he let Harry remove him from his lap and settle him back in his nest. “Omega, why don’t you go take a shower to calm down, get changed, and we can have some yummy dinner together. I’ll go take care of the animals,” Harry murmured to him, kissing his forehead before carefully climbing out of the omega’s nest.

Louis sighed and followed Harry out of the nest, grabbing a fresh pair of panties along with one of Harry’s flannels as a nightdress. He padded into the bathroom and climbed into the shower, taking deep breaths as he stood under the cool spray of water to hopefully calm himself down and get slick to stop coming out of him.

After dinner Louis and Harry curled up on the couch in the living room, Louis’ head resting on Harry’s shoulder as the alpha read a book softly to Louis. His fingers trailed up and down Louis’ arm, leaving goosebumps in his wake. Harry’s deep voice was lulling Louis into a pleasant daydream, imagining Harry reading their future pups books as they get ready for bed. “I love your voice. It’s so calming and lovely,” Louis murmured when Harry finished the chapter. “Do you sing?”

Harry’s cheeks tinted red as Louis craned his neck to look up at him. “Um. Yeah, I used to,” he admitted, tracing a series of freckles on Louis’ arm. “Before the world ended.”

“Will you play something for me?” Louis asked, grinning excitedly and giving Harry his best puppy eyes. He batted his eyelashes and let his bottom lip pout out a little.

Harry groaned, covering Louis’ face with his hand in an attempt to withstand his cute begging face. The omega giggled and pushed Harry’s hand away, nuzzling his nose against Harry’s cheek. Harry laughed and rolled his eyes playfully. “Oh my god, you’re lucky you’re so cute,” he sighed and lifted Louis into a sitting position. He got up and grabbed the guitar, taking a few minutes to try to make sure it was tuned.

Satisfied with the sound of the guitar, Harry strummed a few times and cleared his throat. It had been ages since he’d actually sat down and played a guitar, he just hoped he wasn’t too rusty.

“You’re a cold day in August, You’re a stream too shallow. You’re a heart-shaped box with no letter inside,” Harry sang softly, a soft twang to his voice from years of growing up in the south. His fingers slid easily along the strings, remembering this song well. “You’re a seed unplanted, you’re a field run fallow. Your heart’s used up, you’re feeling cast aside.”

Louis watched the alpha play his song, eyes going soft at the emotion in Harry’s voice. He had amazing vocals and the song choice was beautiful. He could tell this song meant something to Harry, but he wasn’t sure what as of yet.

“Come see me at the greenhouse, In the back yard. Come see me at the oak tree, with our names carved in the bark,” Harry crooned, losing himself in the lyrics to the song. He’d forgotten how freeing it felt to pour himself into a song and feel as though he was breathing the song.

Harry bit his lip, strumming rhythmically and closing his eyes as he played the chords to Greenhouse by The Bros. Landreth. This song had always enraptured him and he could remember listening to this song on repeat when one of his best friends had died a few years ago.

As he finished up the song, Harry opened his eyes again and looked up at Louis with a small smile. Louis reached over and took the guitar out of Harry’s arms to climb into his lap. “That was beautiful, Harry,” he murmured and straddled Harry’s lap. “You’re so good.”

Harry’s lips quirked into a bashful smile. “Thanks, Lou,” he sighed and rested his hands on the boy’s thighs. “It felt good to play again. I’m glad you found that guitar. That was really sweet of you to think of me.”

Louis nodded with a big grin, overjoyed that Harry had liked it. “I’m glad you liked it.” He leaned in and nuzzled their noses together.

“Well, I like _you_ ,” Harry murmured and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “But, I’m exhausted. I think it’s time for bed.”

Louis sighed and let his fall to Harry’s shoulder. “Okay. I guess so. I’m glad I’ll have the blanket to sleep with so I can smell you.”

Harry grinned and nodded, rubbing soothing circles against his back. “You’ve gotta be careful tellin’ me stuff like that,” he teased and picked Louis right up, hand under his bottom to support his weight as he carried the omega into the bedroom to his nest.

As Harry placed Louis into his nest, Louis smiled up at the alpha and pulled him in for one last kiss. “Goodnight, Alpha,” he whispered, giggling when Harry kissed his forehead and returned the sentiment before slipping out of his room. Louis bit his lip, curling up with the blanket that provided comfort and a sense of safety and security.

Louis drifted off to sleep that night, dreaming of pine needles, kisses, and a potential future. He imagined hot cocoa in the morning, the pitter-patter of little feet running through the cabin, and nights spent wrapped up in the arms of the only alpha he’s ever wanted to mate.


	7. Chapter 7

The air was thick with steam and the smell of peaches and vanilla swirled through the room. The only window of the bathroom was completely fogged up, but Louis could still see the vague shape of snowy trees through the blurred window. He sank further into the tub, hot water lapping at his chin and jaw as he rested back against the cool porcelain of the old retro bathtub. Louis hummed the tune Harry had played a few days before and ran his fingers up and down his smooth legs. With eyes slipped shut, he listened to the sounds of the mourning doves calling out to each other from the trees. Being so deep in the middle of nowhere used to scare him, but with Harry in their little cabin, he had never felt so safe.

As the water in the tub cooled, Louis sighed to himself and pulled the plug in the drain. He carefully got to his feet and stepped onto the bathmat and wrapped the towel around his shoulders, nuzzling into the warm terry cloth. He could hear Harry moving around in the living room, so he opened the door and poked his head out. “Good morning,” he chirped with a cheerful smile.

Harry looked up from where he was grabbing a pale of water and offered a frazzled smile. “Morning. It looks like Mary’s gonna have her baby today, so I’ll be out there most of the day.”

Louis grinned and moved towards the bedroom. “I’ll get dressed and join you! Just give me a minute,” he hummed and disappeared behind the door.

Louis dug through the closet for his warmest and thickest sweater and pulled it on over his head. He added his fleece-lined leggings along with fuzzy socks before hanging up his towel on the hook in the bathroom. “Okay, I’m ready! How far along is she?” He asked while he bustled around the cabin pulling on his boots, coat, mittens, and hat.

“I’m not sure. When I went to feed them she was laying in her stall in full labor. Not sure how much longer it’ll be.” Harry placed a hand on Louis’ lower back as he led him towards the barn, the pale of water hanging from his other arm. The two trudged through the thick, slowly melting snow as the bleating of the sheep in labor came from the rustic construction.

Harry yanked the heavy wooden door open for the omega and let him in first before following close behind. He set the pale down just inside the stall and crouched down next to the sheep lying in the straw, her side heaving with each breath. “Hello, Mary. How’s my girl doing?” He murmured and knelt next to her, gently petting her nose soothingly.

He eased his coat off and placed it under her head. Louis knelt next to Harry and placed his hand next to Harry’s on Mary’s cheek as she bleated uncomfortably. Harry ran his hand over Mary’s side, feeling for the lambs to see where they were. It felt like one of them was close, so Harry scooted towards her rear and stroked her back as they waited.

Louis bit his lip nervously, softly petting her snout and whispering soft encouragements to her. It had been years since he had been present for a birth, the last time having been when his mother had given birth to his youngest sister. He didn’t remember much, other than it was important to remain calm and try to keep the person, or sheep, calm as well. He hummed one of the songs he remembered his mom singing to him to get him to sleep, and it seemed to keep Mary breathing.

When it didn’t look like she would give birth right away, Harry gave her another pat on her snout and got to his feet to busy himself while they waited. Louis didn’t leave Mary’s side while Harry cleaned out the other stalls, sweeping the stalls out before carrying armfuls of fresh straw and spreading them on the ground. He listened to Louis’ soft murmurs from a few stalls over and smiled to himself. It warmed his heart to hear Louis trying to coach the sheep through the pregnancy and made his heart swell with fondness. His mind flickered with thoughts of Louis full of pups, belly round, and heart happy and full.

It was a few hours before it looked like things were moving along. “Alright, it looks like we might have a baby in a minute,” Harry breathed, glancing at Louis with an affectionate smile. Mary let out a groan and her sides heaved heavily. He moved and could see hooves, so he pulled firmly but gently to help her move things along. “Come on, Mary. Push, girl,” he murmured and timed his pulls with her pushing. After two more heaves, Harry pulled the lamb and moved it towards her head for the sheep to lick her baby and clean it up.

Louis watched in awe as Mary immediately began licking the lamb to clean it up and get the blood moving in the lamb. “You did such a good job, Mary. You’re a great mama,” he whispered, smiling widely as the lamb let out a small bleat.

“We’ve got another one coming,” Harry warned from where he was kneeling and examining Mary. He wiped his hands on one of the towels got ready for the next lamb. They sat for a few more minutes, close to twenty, before Mary let out a warning bleat. “Here we go. Come on, Mary girl. Let’s see another baby,” he hummed and rubbed her back as she pushed.

Soon there were two lambs laying in the hay next to their mother, small and shivering in the chilly air. Harry immediately pulled his sweatshirt over his head along with his t-shirt and crouched next to the lambs, tucking the shirts warmed by his skin around the twin lambs. “There we go, nice and cozy,” he cooed as Mary finished cleaning up her babies.

Louis’ eyes couldn’t focus on the lambs nestled in Harry’s sweatshirt and t-shirt, all he could see was the stripes across Harry’s back. If it weren’t for the faded scars on his back, he would have ogled the defined muscles beneath the tattoos and scars. His wide eyes stayed trained on Harry’s back, frozen with horror.

Harry smile down at the lambs and cleaned his hands in the pale of water in the corner before turning to Louis, the smile dropping from his face. He’d nearly forgotten that Louis hadn’t yet seen his bare skin and he realized he probably should have given Louis a warning first. His eyes dropped and his throat cleared as he kicked the toe of his boot against the ground. “Are you going to say something?”

Louis’ eyes snapped away from the scars to his face, closed off with a hint of self-consciousness. “Are those all from work?” He whispered, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth and carefully getting to his feet.

“A belt,” Harry shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Your dad?” Louis asked quietly, reaching out a tentative hand to gently turn Harry’s body for a better view.

Harry nodded, his muscles tight and his entire body tense as Louis’ fingers skated over the thick scar tissue running along his back in pale stripes.

“Oh, Harry,” Louis breathed, voice barely a whisper. His fingers brushed over the lines, feeling Harry tremble beneath them. “I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah. Well. He wasn’t a good man,” Harry mumbled and turned to face Louis again. “He taught me how not to be a father. I’ll never be him.”

Louis blinked back a few tears, fighting the pinpricks behind his lids. “You would be a great father, I know you would,” he whispered and let his head drop between Harry’s collarbones. He didn’t want to push Harry to speak more about the awful scars or the horrible father who’d treated him worse than trash. He didn’t know if he could bear to hear the stories, causing his omega heart to feel like it was being strangled with barbed wire. It went against his very nature to even think about someone mistreating their own child.

Fingers slipped through strands of Louis’ hair and combed out a few of the snarls from his shower earlier. Harry sighed as the omega’s arms wrapped around him tightly and held him close, soothing his nerves and warding off the memories of how he got those scars.

Harry pressed a kiss to the top of Louis’ head and guided him over to a pile of clean hay in the corner of the stall, pulling Louis onto his lap as he seated himself comfortably against the wall. Louis’ cheek rested against Harry’s collarbones, his lashes tickling Harry’s skin. Fingers roamed the ink on his chest and arms, tracing the swirls and curls of black.

“I didn’t realize you had so many tattoos,” Louis murmured as he brushed his fingertips over the feathers of a hummingbird over Harry’s heart.

With a simple hum, Harry shivered under Louis’ touch. The sensation of the omega’s fingers pressing against his bare skin sent sparks flying across his chest under the boy’s hands. It felt exciting, thrilling, and comforting all at once.

“Are there stories behind any of them? Or do you get them for the artistic style of them?” Louis asked and moved his fingers to the mountains inked over Harry’s bicep.

“A bit of both. Some of them do have stories or symbolize something, but I’ve also got tons that I just liked the looks of.” Harry shrugged and tapped the hummingbird on his chest. “This one is for my best friend who passed away a few years ago.”

“What does the hummingbird mean?” Louis asked, moving his attention back to the strong inked lines and smoothly blended shades of gray and black.

“It’s for Zac. We were best friends ever since we were kids in junior high. He was one of the people who knew about my dad and his family always offered to let me stay with them if I ever needed it. When we grew up we both went to the police academy and even got jobs in the same precinct. We were like brothers,” Harry hummed and brushed his thumb over the space behind Louis’ ear subconsciously. “A few years into working with the department, we both got called in with our partners to investigate a man waving a gun around in the middle of the night on his street. He was using his kid as a shield when we got there. We tried to talk him down and de-escalate the situation. The guy pointed a gun at us, but we didn’t have a clear shot with his kid in the way so we were all just screaming at him to drop the gun. He shot Zac and he died on the way to the hospital.”

Louis frowned and nestled closer, clinging to Harry in an effort to comfort him. “That’s awful.”

Harry nodded with a sigh. “Yeah. They held the funeral a few days later and officers from all the surrounding precincts and departments came. Zac was a well-loved guy. Everyone liked him and he was always up for a good time. After the funeral, I was sitting in my garage smoking a cigarette. I could hear this pattering sound, and I looked up to see there was a hummingbird that must have flown into the garage and gotten stuck. The bird must have been trying to escape for hours and I could tell it was exhausted. It landed on Zac’s motorcycle that I got from his dad when he died, it was the craziest thing. The hummingbird was sitting on the seat of the bike with its wings spread. I wanted to get it out of the garage so it could recover and fly away, so I walked over and nudged it into my hand. It actually let me pick it up, so I carried it out and set it down on my driveway. I sat next to it for a little while before it regained its energy. I sat in my front yard for a while, and the hummingbird hung out around me for almost the rest of the day.

“When I went to visit Zac’s dad a few days later, I told him about what happened with the hummingbird. Zac’s dad David is Native American and Zac was half Native American. David told me that in Indigenous culture, the hummingbird symbolizes reincarnation. There’s a legend that says when a warrior dies in battle, they come back to visit their loved ones as hummingbirds. Zac really was a warrior, he had this bravery in him that I’d never really seen before. If someone was in trouble, he would run headfirst into the line of fire without fear. He wasn’t afraid to get hurt and he would do whatever he needed to save someone, and that was what ended his life,” Harry murmured and looked down at his tattoo. “I got this tattoo for him, as a reminder of bravery and to honor his life.”

Louis offered a soft smile and traced the hummingbird’s wings and long beak. “That story is incredible, Harry,” he whispered. “Zac sounds like he made a big impact on you. I’m sorry the world lost him. It sounds like he made the world a better place and taught you a lot.”

“He’s part of the reason I am who I am today.” Harry nodded and pointed out another tattoo, the one with the silhouette of a mountain range and pine trees. “After Zac died, I visited a counselor and was diagnosed with anxiety. Being in an environment where at any moment I could be killed or I was responsible for protecting victims every day and I think that just really took a toll on me. I had panic attacks pretty frequently for a few months until my counselor helped me develop healthy coping mechanisms to ward off the anxiety attacks and work through the panic. When I got this tattoo, it was a reminder of the peace and tranquility I found as I worked on my mental health. I felt awful at first because I felt like such a shit alpha for not being able to handle the job. I still feel a bit incompetent as an alpha with anxiety, but it is what it is.”

“H, having anxiety doesn’t make you a terrible alpha,” Louis murmured and crawled into Harry’s lap to straddle his waist. “I think it makes you a better alpha. So many alphas aren’t willing to admit that they struggle with mental health but you’ve put in the work to figure it out and manage your anxiety. Harry, I think you’re the perfect alpha. You’re so incredibly strong to have gotten through the things you’ve been through. You’re protective, strong, wise, loving, and soft when you need to be.”

Louis leaned forward and nuzzled his nose into Harry’s neck, pressing a soft kiss to Harry’s bond site. “You’re the perfect alpha for me and I promise to always be here for you. I’ll never leave you and I’ll be your support and your home. Nothing could take me from you,” he whispered, sending flickers of warmth through Harry’s veins.

A small, watery smile crept onto Harry’s lips. He let out a shaky breath and stroked his hand down Louis’ back. “Thank you, baby,” he breathed and tightened his arms around the omega in his lap, letting his high omega body temperature seep into him and warm his skin.

It’s been a few days since Mary gave birth and the lambs were doing well. Harry had asked Louis to name the lambs, and Louis had decided on Marigold and Poppy for the two baby girls. Over the past three days, Louis had spent hours cuddling with the lambs in the barn while Harry worked on the addition to the cabin and the two had settled into a cozy rhythm day in and day out.

It was just about dinner time, so Harry put away his tools and pulled his jacket off to wipe the sweat from the back of his neck. With a slight smile, he stepped into the warm cabin and listened to the soft humming of his boy. His sweet omega. The sweet smell of peaches mixed with the comforting smell of soup simmering on the stove, sending a flash of warmth and joy through him.

“Hey, baby,” Harry murmured as he stepped into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around the boy from behind.

Louis grinned and leaned into Harry’s strong frame. “Hi,” he hummed and set the spoon down to turn in Harry’s arm and leaned up for a kiss. “Mmmm. You smell sexy,” he whispered and nuzzled their noses together.

Harry chuckled and pecked another quick kiss to Louis’ lips. “I’ll go shower real quick but when I get out we can enjoy dinner?” He reached up and brushed the feathery fringe from Louis’ forehead. “Maybe we can enjoy one of the bottles of wine I’ve been saving?”

“Yes, please! I haven’t had wine in years,” Louis agreed excitedly, pressing another kiss to Harry’s lips. “Hurry up in the shower, please?”

“Yes, dear,” Harry laughed and pecked a kiss to Louis’ nose before he shrugged off his hoodie and hurrying to the bathroom for a shower.

While Harry was in the shower, Louis sighed happily. He pulled out bowls and spoons, setting them out on the table along with two wine glasses, and set a candle between the two place settings. As he flitted around the living room, he tidied a few things up and sliced a few slices of bread for them both to enjoy with dinner. When he heard the shower turn off a few minutes later, he glanced in the mirror and fixed his hair up a bit to look nice for Harry.

Louis filled each of the bowls on the table and placed slices of homemade bread on the saucers next to the bowls. When Harry came back into the living room, he grabbed a bottle of wine from on top of the cabinets in the kitchen before pouring them each a glass and taking his seat at the table.

Louis settled across from Harry and smiled when Harry took his hand and kissed the back of it. Harry never failed to send his tummy into a flurry of butterflies or bring a blush to his cheeks. He was the alpha that Louis had always dreamed about finding and he couldn’t believe that in this crazy world, he had managed to find Harry in the middle of nowhere. Fate was a crazy thing.

Harry held his glass of wine up, his green eyes sparkling in the light of the candle. “Thanks for making dinner, Peaches,” he hummed, clinking their glasses together before taking a slow sip of his wine, humming as the wine washed over his tastebuds. He had found a few bottles of wine last time he and Louis had gone into town and figured they would be perfect for a rainy day.

A happy hum escaped Louis’ lips as he savored the red wine swirling in his tummy. It had been so long since he had enjoyed alcohol, and it felt like a real date, or at least the closest thing they would be able to get to a real date during these times.

They remained fairly quiet as they sipped their wine and filled their stomachs with soup to warm them from the inside out. As they ate, Harry kept their fingers twined together on top of the table, playing with Louis’ fingers and sending him soft smiles. After they finished off the first bottle, Harry and Louis were both feeling a bit more loose and giddy with their lowered alcohol tolerances.

Louis giggled as Harry poured them each another glass of wine from the second bottle, his cheeks flushed and his blue eyes seemed brighter with the wine making him feel floaty and happy. “Thanks, Alpha,” he hummed happily and got to his feet, teetering a bit as he wandered over to the couch with his full glass.

Harry followed Louis to the sofa and immediately pulled him into his lap to nuzzle his neck. “Mmmmmm, omega,” he sighed and kissed his scent glands. “Yummy sweet baby.”

Feeling Harry beneath him felt so right and so perfect. They smiled and giggled around the rims of the wine glasses between them, Louis’ lips turned dark pink from the stain of the red wine. He looked delectable, with his pink and beautiful lips, sparkling blue eyes, long lashes, and thick peachy smell that filled the air and turned Harry’s heart to goo.

Louis scooted closer to Harry and set his glass of wine next to them on the side table, nearly spilling it on Harry. “Oopsie,” he giggled and steadied himself with a hand on Harry’s broad shoulder.

Harry’s hands slid up and down Louis’ thighs that had grown thick as he steadily gained back his weight. Eating regular meals full of protein and healthy veggies had filled out Louis’ thighs, ass, and had given him the cutest tummy that Harry very much wanted to lick and bite. “Trying to make a mess of your alpha?” He hummed, squeezing the thick flesh under his hands.

“Technically, you’re not my alpha,” Louis sassed, poking Harry’s chest right in the middle and pouting when Harry’s hand caught his wrist. “Heyyy.”

“I’m working on it, Lou,” Harry promised and took another sip of wine as he caressed the delicate bones of Louis’ wrist with his thumb.

“Are you? It’s taking you so long,” Louis whined and pouted out his lower lip as he tilted his head slightly to the side to bare his neck.

Harry chuckled, licking his lips as he eyed Louis’ soft neck that looked much too empty. “I am, I promise. Just trying to figure things out and figure out how to court you properly. It’s hard when we live in the middle of nowhere and the world is basically ended.” He released Louis’ wrist with a final kiss to the back of his hand. “I learned my lesson with the chicken though.”

Louis’ eyebrows furrowed cutely and he tugged softly on a loose curl hanging in front of Harry’s forehead. “Chicken?”

The alpha’s cheeks flushed as he nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. The chicken that you threw in the bathtub.” Louis let out a sharp giggle. “I thought it would be nice to have fresh roast chicken for dinner but what I failed to realize was that a dead chicken doesn’t make a very good courting gift,” Harry sighed.

“I can’t believe that was supposed to be a courting gift,” Louis snickered, covering his mouth with his fingers as he laughed. It was adorable that Harry, the big protective alpha with a softer side, tried to give him a dead chicken as a courting gift. Knowing Harry wanted to mate him and was making moves to make that happen sent a little thrill down Louis’ spine and made his heart beat a little faster. “Silly Alpha, trying to court me with a chicken,” he cooed teasingly.

Harry groaned and threw his arm over his eyes, dropping his head back against the couch cushion. “I know, I know. It’s fucking embarrassing.”

Louis grinned widely, grabbing Harry’s hand and moving it away from his face. “It’s not embarrassing. It’s insanely endearing. And, luckily, your second attempt was much better because I loved the blanket,” he whispered and leaned in to nuzzle their noses together and press a soft kiss to his lips.

“I’m really glad because I really like you. Your pretty face and wonderful mind make me want you so bad. I’ve been trying so hard to court you the right way because you deserve someone pampering you and giving you gifts. You’re such a good omega and I want to give you the full experience, but I want to fucking rip your clothes off and make you mine,” Harry sighed, the alcohol making his mind feel wonderfully fuzzy.

Warmth flooded through Louis’ body, fire in his veins that sent slick straight to his hole. His hips twitched down against Harry and his hold on Harry’s arm tightened. With a shaky breath, he bit his lip and nosed against Harry’s jaw. “Then do it, please. Make me yours, Alpha,” he mewled.

Harry shook his head and gripped Louis’ hip as he pulled him impossibly closer. It wasn’t time yet, he couldn’t explain it, but he knew it wasn’t the right moment yet. Louis wanted to rush into it and give in to the heat of the moment, but Harry felt like they needed to let things build more and trust the timing. But, that didn’t mean they couldn’t have a little fun in the meantime. Harry slid his hand down and gripped Louis’ bum, squeezing the bouncy flesh in his hand.

Louis’ breath caught in his throat and he bared his neck towards Harry, arching his back to push his bottom into Harry’s hand. The touch of an alpha, firm and protective, sent waves of slick to his hole. He whimpered when Harry’s strong hand nudged his face towards him and soon the alpha’s lips were on his. Confident, dominant, soft lips caressed his own, and the taste of grapes and pine filled his senses.

Harry hummed, dragging his tongue across the omega’s bottom lip in a slick slide that he could enjoy forever. Peaches grew stronger in the air, warmth radiating from Louis’ hole and Harry could tell already that Louis was slick and hot for him. Knowing that his omega wanted his knot made his cock thicken in his jeans and press against his zipper. “Baby,” he groaned and slid his hand underneath the waistband of Louis’ leggings until his hand cupped his bare cheek and his thumb stroked the soft skin it found there.

It felt a million degrees hotter than it had a few minutes ago, and Harry just had to get his shirt off. Pulling away from Louis for only a moment was all Harry needed to yank his shirt off and toss it behind the couch as the omega’s lips found his jaw. Soft lips and a little pink tongue dragged against Harry’s neck and across his scent glands. Large hands pushed the boy into the couch so he was hovering over him, his dominant posture drawing a whine from Louis’ lips.

Louis couldn’t keep his hands off the alpha, wanting to touch more more more. He wanted to feel Harry against every inch of his body, _in_ every inch of his body. He wanted to spread his legs for Harry and let him find the place no alpha has ever touched. The need to submit rolled through Louis as Harry’s grip on his bottom tightened and his fingers crept closer to his hole.

Above him, Harry was grinding his hips down against the tiny tent in Louis’ leggings that Harry found obnoxiously adorable. He was so little and small and perfect. The alpha’s lips dragged down the column of his neck to his scent glands and a fat stripe was licked over his neck. “Alpha,” Louis whined, craning his neck as hard as he could to present his neck in hopes that Harry would finally take him and mark him.

“Fuck, I love you,” the alpha growled on top of him as he nuzzled his nose against Louis’ glands. At Harry’s admission, Louis’ eyes shot open and mouth dropped.

Louis gasped as slick poured out of him upon hearing those words so deep and gravelly. Everything went white as he humped up against Harry. He felt Harry’s hand trail down further until one of his fingers hooked into Louis’ hole with ease, finding no resistance only hot slick pouring from his entrance. Stars burst behind his lids as the heat built up in his small body before bursting like a pile of firecrackers going off at the same time. Lips parted and soft, needy moans fell from him as his body spasmed with the force of his orgasm.

As the omega beneath him came in his pants, Harry worked his finger inside of Louis and imagined what it would feel like when he could feel those same contracting wet walls around his cock not his finger. He was definitely pretty tipsy, but the sentiment he had shared was still true, though he hadn’t meant to share it quite yet. So be it. If he had known it would literally make the omega cum in his panties just by saying those words, he would have done that ages ago.

“Good omega. Such a pretty baby girl,” Harry groaned, holding the omega close as the orgasm ripped through his curvy little body and made his limbs go limp.

Louis could feel tears building in his eyes and he didn’t have the strength to stop them as they trickled down his face. Overwhelmed but blissed-out, his hands trembled and his eyes squeezed shut.

“Hey, hey. Talk to me, Peaches. What’s wrong?” Harry asked, using his free hand to caress Louis’ cheek and wipe the tears away.

“N-nothing is wrong. It’s right. It’s so right,” Louis whimpered, sniffling as he opened his eyes to look up into Harry’s beautiful green irises. “I love you too.”

A grin spread across Harry’s lips and he leaned in to nuzzle their noses together, finally extracting his finger and wiping it on the couch. He kept a protective hand on the small of Louis’ back and carried the boy to the bedroom. “Can I go in your nest?”

Louis nodded with his face buried into Harry’s neck and his arms and legs wrapped tightly around the alpha. His panties felt sticky and wet, but he didn’t want to move. He wanted to stay wrapped up in Harry’s arms forever, even if the liquid soaking through his panties and leggings was a little uncomfortable.

With careful moves so as not to disturb anything, Harry climbed into the nest and rested with Louis cradled against his chest in the middle of the pile of blankets. A low grumble that nearly resembled a purr came from deep in his chest as the omega snuggled closer and pressed his nose into Harry’s scent glands.

There, nestled in the carefully constructed nest that Louis had worked so hard on, Harry held Louis to his chest and felt like things were falling so perfectly into place. He never would have imagined that finding the boy would have turned out this way and not even his wildest dreams could compare to how wonderful this moment was with his future mate.

When Louis woke the next morning, it was with a whimper as light streamed into the bedroom with his head pounding. Last night had been perfect, but he had forgotten how horrible hangovers could be. His head felt like it had been stuffed full of cotton and then slammed against the wall a few hundred times and he was slightly regretting not changing into clean clothes the night before. Another whimper escaped his lips as he hid his face in Harry’s chest.

The soft noises of the omega stirred Harry from his sleep and yanked him into consciousness to greet a hangover of his own. He winced at the light bouncing off the mirror in the bedroom and turned to bury his face in Louis’ hair to block out the light. Neither one of them moved for a good twenty minutes, both trying to gather up the energy to rise from the bed.

It was Harry who moved first. He slowly and carefully extracted himself from the nest, biting back a fond smile as the omega’s fist tightened on his wrist in an effort to keep him there. “Sorry baby, I have to get up to get us both some water. I’ll be right back,” he whispered quietly, even that seeming too loud as blood rushed and left his head feeling like it was spinning. He steadied himself on the dresser and trudged out to the living room, but not before taking one last look back at the soft and sweet omega sprawled out in his nest.

Luckily, Harry had thought to close most of the curtains in the kitchen and living room, so the cabin was dimly lit by the flickering fire in the furnace as Harry stumbled his way to the fridge for two glasses of water. He’d been lucky enough to forget how many hangovers sucked and he was cursing himself for not being a bit more careful the night before. With a glass of water in hand, he returned to the bedroom and set it down on the bedside table for Louis once he was ready to drink something. He knew the best cure for a hangover was a big hearty breakfast, so he returned to the kitchen to whip up some eggs, ham, and fried potatoes from his garden.

With every clang of pots and scrape of metal utensils against the bowl, he winced and had to squeeze his eyes shut against the pain that felt like it was making his brain swell in his skull. Soon, the aroma of frying eggs and cooking pork filled the room and wafted down the hall to where Louis was cradling his head and trying to take small sips of water. The scent of breakfast made his tummy growl loudly and it was nearly enough motivation to bring him out of his nest. Nearly.

When the breakfast was ready, Harry scraped the food onto plates and carried one in each hand into the room so they could enjoy some breakfast in bed together. Louis looked adorable, though a bit miserable with his hair a fluffy mess and his petite frame curled up in a ball. “Here, breakfast will help,” Harry mumbled and sat on the bed next to Louis, setting down the plates to help Louis up into a somewhat seated position.

“Hurts,” Louis whimpered, eyes squinted against the light as his stomach let out another loud growl.

Harry cracked a smile that made his own head hurt and leaned down to gently press a kiss to Louis’ forehead. “Eat, sweets. It helps,” he promised and lifted a forkful of fried eggs to his lips.

Louis’ eyes fluttered shut as greasy fried eggs met his tongue and covered up the gross feeling of dry mouth. His back straightened and he took the plate from Harry, desperate for more food now that he had a taste of it. He eagerly shoveled more eggs and a bit of potato into his mouth, moaning quietly as his tummy filled and the starches from the potatoes began to soak up the alcohol from the night before.

Harry rested his back against the headboard, slowly working on his own plate of food as he looked out the window at the fluffy white flakes that blew off the roof of their little cabin, making it look like it was snowing. If he had to guess, he would say it was maybe late February or early March by now. The snow would be melting soon and it wouldn’t be so damn cold all the time. He was looking forward to not having to run the furnace all day and all night and it would be a bit of a relief to not have to be as concerned about keeping the cabin at the perfect temperature for the omega. His body was always warm, but he seemed to always claim to be cold. Harry had to admit, he didn’t mind the cuddles he received when Louis was cold though.

He would need to check on the animals soon and make sure they got fed, he had slept in later than usual and he was sure they would be hungry and anxious to get out of the barn by now. With a sigh, he shoveled the rest of the food from his plate into his mouth and set it back onto the nightstand. “Gotta go check on the barn. Be back soon,” he murmured and nosed at Louis’ hair to scent the top of his head before he trudged out to the living room.

Louis watched Harry’s bare back as he left, noticing a few marks on his back that Louis had to assume were from his own nails. Seeing the scars raking across the alpha’s back still set his stomach uneasily and he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about seeing the scratches from his nails mixed with scars that held so many terrible memories. He liked that there were lingering reminders of their night before, but it also reminded him that Harry’s back had once been cut open and bruised terribly from his father. It was a tricky and conflicting emotion to nail down.

With his plate mostly clean, he set his dish on top of Harry’s and sank back into the blankets and pillows around him. The soft cushion and warm fabrics cradled him perfectly and there was the best mix of pine and peaches that cloaked the omega. It was perfect and lovely and he wanted to smell it for the rest of his life. Louis couldn’t help but drift off into a daydream, not fully asleep but not fully awake, as he waited for his alpha to return to him. He desperately wanted a bath, but he wanted to not move more.

Louis didn’t have to wait very long before Harry came back to him, cheeks a bit pink and nose runny from the chill in the late winter/early spring air. He barely cracked an eye open before he was holding his hands up and making grabby hands towards the alpha. He could feel the smile on Harry’s lips as they pressed against his shoulder when he was lifted from the nest and carried out of the room, presumably to the bathroom.

His eyes still felt too heavy, so Louis let them stay shut as he sat on the ground patiently while the bath was filled. It felt so nice to be taken care of so well, to not have to worry about taking care of himself because he knew his alpha would make sure he was comfortable and pampered. He was probably a bit spoiled, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care one bit.

The water was soon deemed the perfect temperature and Harry carefully slid the soiled leggings and panties down the omega’s silky soft legs into a heap on the bathroom floor. Harry’s eyes raked over the exposed skin in front of him, the nerves under his skin crackling to life as he took in Louis’ beauty. “So lovely, Omega,” he whispered, letting the sweater he was wearing be added to the pile until they were both bare. With careful arms, Harry lifted Louis and sunk down into the warm soapy water in the tub.

Louis sighed happily, feeling the tacky skin of his bottom and crotch finally be clean as he rested his back against Harry’s strong and broad chest. He silently cursed himself for keeping his eyes closed and missing checking the rest of Harry’s body out. He’d still only seen the top half of Harry naked, and he was definitely curious to see the rest of him. Thoughts of Harry’s size were swept from his mind as a warm, wet cloth dragged against his back and up his neck, soothing his tired body.

“Baby?” A deep, calming voice came from behind him. Louis blinked his eyes open and tilted his head back, only wincing minimally as pain ebbed from his temples. He hummed questioningly and rested a hand on Harry’s knee.

“I was thinking that the addition would make a great new bedroom, maybe one that we could share. I’m not all that good at designing things, so would you maybe come up with what you’d like it to look like? I want you to design the whole thing. I think you’d do a lovely job,” Harry hummed and used a small cup to pour water down the back of Louis’ head to wet his hair.

Louis smiled softly and nodded, tracing a heart on Harry’s kneecap with the bubbles from the tub. “I can make it however I want?”

Harry nodded his head, pouring more water against his scalp and blocking any water from getting into Louis’ eyes. “However you want,” he confirmed and reached over for the soap.

“Okay, that sounds fun. It’ll be like one big nest for us,” Louis murmured, eyes fluttering shut once again as Harry’s fingers massaged the suds into his hair with his fingernails scraping lightly against his scalp in the most relaxing way possible.

The room fell silent as Harry gently washed Louis clean and took his time making sure every inch of Louis was pampered the way the omega deserved. It filled Harry’s heart with pride to be able to do this for Louis, to be able to sedate him, spoil him, and love him. He would very much like to do this for the rest of their lives and he fully intended on doing everything possible to make sure that could happen.

The majority of the day was filled with plenty of cuddling, snacking on food from the fridge, and reading in front of the fire. After lunch, their headaches had vanished for the most part and all that remained was the warm tingle of happiness ringing through their veins as they curled up together.

When the sun began to dip low in the sky, Harry ushered Louis to his feet and worked to get dressed in their coats, boots, mittens, hats, and scarves. With a final check to make sure Louis would be warm enough, Harry kissed the tip of Louis’ nose and led him outside where the sky had sent washes of pink and purple across the sparkling snow. The sun was now just setting and the stars that always shone brightly up here were beginning to make their debut.

Harry led them towards a clearing where they had a window through the trees to see the sky and the snow had drifted to make the perfect place to recline. He plopped down into the snow and held his arms out for Louis, smiling as the omega settled himself between Harry’s legs with his back pressed to the alpha’s front. He sighed contentedly and wrapped his arms around the boy’s waist as he tilted his head back to rest against the snow while he gazed up at the sky.

Louis rested his head against Harry’s shoulder and watched the sky melt from pink to purple to navy. Snowflakes were now falling from the sky, gently fluttering through the air before kissing his cheeks in cool wet droplets. He could hear the sheep bleating in the barn and the horses Jackson and Libby nickering to each other from the pasture Harry had built at some point. “Harry?” He asked quietly, feeling as though if he spoke too loudly it would break the meditative lull they were in.

“Hmm?” Harry hummed behind him.

“What do you want your life to look like in five years?” Louis whispered, watching an owl silently glide from one of the tallest pines to the branch of an oak tree just off the corner of the cabin.

Harry seemed to take a few minutes to think. He was always taking his time forming the words in his mind before he spoke them out loud, carefully choosing his words to reflect how he was feeling. Louis admired him for it. At times, he himself would just blurt out whatever he was thinking and when he was younger it often got him into trouble. “Mmmm, I guess I want to be with you. I’d hope that we could stay here but at some point, we may need to move closer to civilization if resources around here run out,” he decided, rubbing his gloved hand up and down Louis’ side. “What about you?”

Louis sighed softly and picked at the tag inside his mitten. “I don’t know for sure. I want to be with you. I want a family.” He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as his brows furrowed. He was silent for a few moments before he spoke again, much more quietly this time. “I wish I could have a family, but I don’t know if I can. I haven’t had a heat in years. I spoke with a beta who used to be a doctor before everything changed and he said if I wasn’t having heats then I most likely won’t be able to bear any children,” he admitted, ashamed that he wasn’t able to do the one thing that omegas were supposed to be good at. “I want to give you pups but my body is broken. I wish for nothing more than to be able to give you a family.”

Harry’s motions had stilled as he absorbed the information. It hurt, hearing that Louis was barren. He had always wanted a family of his own, but it appeared that the world was cruel. But he would have Louis. He would have his omega to cherish and hold forever, even though pups weren’t in the picture. With a soft sigh, he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Louis’ jaw. “You’re not broken. I wish that we could have a family together, but you’re my home. My heart is yours and as long as you have it, I’ll be happy. I would have loved pups, but you’re enough for me. I love you and that could never change. I’m yours and you’re mine, regardless of not being able to have pups. You’re it for me, Peaches,” he promised softly.

Louis squeezed Harry’s arm tightly, holding back tears as his gaze returned to the heavens. The stars above them twinkled in the deep blue evening sky and the crescent moon lit up the sky behind the pines and lit them from behind. It reminded him of Harry’s tattoo. With all of the pain Harry had endured, he wished he didn’t have to add to the weight of the pain he carried but he had to know. Louis loved him too much to trick him into mating him only to reveal he was barren. Of course, Harry had been amazing about it, vowing to love him regardless.

Louis let his eyes slip shut as Harry’s warm breath puffed against his ear and the sounds of the forest coming alive in the safety of dark drifted across the snow. Mourning doves cooed in the distance and the owl was hooting from its perch. He felt at home, laying in the middle of nowhere nestled in his alpha’s arms. He was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments are always appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

The snow that had covered the ground only a few weeks ago was nearly gone now, leaving behind thick mud and the smell of damp earth. On quiet days in the cabin, the sound of dripping water from the melting icicles was like soft music. The signs of spring held so much hope of new life, with the first sprouts from the wildflowers poking through the soil and the leaves on the trees coming back to life.

As all things did around this time of year, things between Louis and Harry had only blossomed and flourished as time had passed, their days full of soft touches and shared kisses. Harry had been a bit busy putting the finishing touches on their new bedroom, but he always made sure to leave plenty of time to cuddle with the omega and spoil him.

His favorite times were those spent laying on the bed with Louis resting against his chest, his dainty fingers tracing shapes against his skin. His eyelashes would flutter against the hummingbird inked over his heart, reminding him of the beating wings of his favorite bird. It was tranquil. It felt like honey dripping from a spoon with sunlight shimmering in the amber liquid.

Those moments spent among the soft, worn sheets pulled him into daydreams. The blurred images of Louis, smiling brightly as ever, running through fields of wildflowers. Louis’ tinkling laughter floating with the cottonwood seeds like snow. Louis smiling with love in his clear blue eyes as he gazed down at his swollen belly.

Harry had assured Louis that his lack of fertility was not a deal-breaker. It truly wasn’t, he would always love the omega and he would cherish him for as long as he was alive. But that didn’t mean it was easy. He used to want plenty of pups, back when he was a police officer. When the world had fallen apart and he moved to the cabin, he had learned to let that dream go. Then Louis came along and he started to believe he would have another chance at a family. His dreams of toddling pups running around their cabin were soon snuffed out by Louis’ admission and it felt like part of his future was lost.

Louis could tell that Harry was still hurting from losing the potential family he had wanted, but the alpha never showed resentment or any signs of holding it against him. The guilt was always there, whispering in the back of his mind despite Harry’s assurances that he was loved regardless of his barren womb. He was doing his best to believe him.

The two had come to an agreement that once the new addition was done, they would finally have their mating ceremony. Louis was anxiously awaiting it and tried to leave as much time during the day as possible for Harry to work on the room, hoping to hurry their timeline along. His plan seemed to work, though it did make him miss Harry more. Harry woke up earlier than him every day and would try his best not to wake Louis as he climbed out of bed and got dressed. On a typical day, Harry spent almost all morning and most of the afternoon outside working on the room while Louis helped care for the animals, cooked, cleaned, and read books when he grew bored.

In the evenings, Louis would cook them dinner and afterward he would often sit in Harry’s lap as they read together, or he’d sketch out plans for their room and what he wanted it to look like. He wasn’t exactly sure what they would use the spare bedroom for now, but it would be nice to have a room that he designed for them. It was like having a fresh start waiting for them once they were mated, and it would be exactly how Louis would dream it to be.

Today, Harry had taken him to town to the hardware store where they had picked out a few gallons of old paint as well as curtains from the bigger corner store across the street from the liquor store. He’d made it a quick in and out trip, not letting Louis lollygag or look around too much. Louis had noticed that Harry seemed pretty on edge the entire time they were there, but he didn’t ask in the assumption that it was due to anxiety.

Louis took a deep breath of fresh spring air, resting his head against the back of Harry’s shoulder as they rode closer to home. If Louis had to guess, he would say they were only twenty minutes from the cabin. As they rode through the forest, Louis watched squirrels leap from the branches and scurry up the bark of the oaks and pine trees that grew thick in this area. A small smile crept onto his lips as a squirrel leaped through the air, but missed the branch of the tree it was aiming for and just narrowly caught itself on the bark of the tree trunk. He giggled softly and squeezed his arms around Harry’s waist, cuddling closer.

Before long, the smoke from the chimney of the cabin could be seen rising through the tops of the trees and blending with the clouds. The sun was mostly covered and at this point, it hung low in the west. It would be time for dinner soon and Louis was planning on making Harry’s favorite stew that he would have to start soon in order for the veggies to have enough time to properly marinate.

Harry pulled back on the reins, slowing Jackson to a stop beside the gate to the pasture, and helped Louis down from the horse. He pecked a kiss to the tip of his nose and tugged playfully on Louis’ scarf. “Cutie,” he hummed and reached around to pat his butt.

Louis rolled his eyes fondly and poked Harry’s dimple. “You’re one to talk.” He leaned up on his tippy toes and kissed Harry softly before he pulled away. “I’m gonna go get dinner going. Maybe while it’s simmering we could work on painting the room?” He asked hopefully.

Harry raised a brow with a smirk. “Oh? You’re awfully eager to get that room done,” he teased and watched Louis’ hips swing as the omega sauntered back towards their home.

He spared a look over his shoulder, grinning at the alpha with a wink. Louis added a little extra sway as he walked up the steps of the cabin into the porch as the door slammed behind him. As he passed through the porch, he snagged the freshly washed towels off the line and brought them inside to stow in the bathroom.

Louis hummed to himself and busied himself with chopping up a few onions, carrots, potatoes, and chunks of chicken to add to the homemade stock he had prepared just a few days earlier. The aroma of cooking onion and garlic wafted through the cabin, pulling a hungry growl from his stomach. He enjoyed the challenge that cooking without proper groceries posed, but he did wish he had the right ingredients to cook a nice dinner like he used to be able to. Those days were gone, so he’d have to make do with what he had.

When Harry walked into the cabin, he took a deep breath and sighed happily. “Smells so good, baby,” he hummed and walked up behind Louis to kiss the crook of his shoulder and neck. The omega tilted his head to the side as his eyes fluttered shut and Harry took the opportunity to mouth at his bond site. “Not as good as you though. Pretty soon you’re gonna be mine.”

A blush crept up Louis’ neck and flushed across his cheeks as arousal stirred in his tummy. He wanted nothing more than for Harry to finally claim him and mark him. He couldn’t wait to be able to proudly display their bond mark and finally feel the wholeness that came with being mated. The only thing that was missing was pups, and he didn’t think they would ever get to have them.

Louis leaned back into Harry’s chest, feeling the warmth soaking through his sweater and his breath fanning over his neck. He felt arms wrap around his waist as Harry rested his chin on his shoulder and sighed happily. “Love you,” Louis purred and added a generous pinch of spices to the stew.

“Love you too, baby O,” Harry replied and rubbed Louis’ tummy before releasing him. “I’m gonna go set up the painting supplies so we can get started whenever you’re ready.”

Louis nodded his head and simpered as Harry placed a kiss on his cheek. He watched Harry’s back retreating down the hallway towards the new doorway in the hall he had just cut out a week ago. He turned back to his pot on the stove and added the potatoes to the broth.

He had a few more things to clean up, so he busied himself with cleaning the cutting board, knife, and wiped down the counters where he had been cutting up ingredients. He put away a few of the clean dishes and neatly folded the towels.

Once he had cleaned everything up, he wiped his hands on his leggings and popped into the new bedroom. “Hey! I’m ready to paint,” he enthused, bouncing on the balls of his feet next to Harry.

“Good, the paintbrushes are in that tray over there. I’ll get started on the edging if you’d like to use the big paintbrush to do the big sections?” Harry proposed, using a screwdriver to pop the lid off of the first can of paint.

Louis nodded and dipped one of the large paint brushes into the can of white paint, carefully carrying it over to the wall and dragging it across the wall. He’d worked with Harry to plan out one of the walls in the bedroom to be paneled using a bunch of the wooden slats left over from the barn and the rest of the walls would be painted white, so the shiplap was the focal wall.

The paneled wall would be the wall Louis wanted to put the bed against, across from the large windows that looked out into the woods. In the center of the room there was a skylight that Louis had requested. Harry was such a good sport, spending a few days trying to figure out how to make a skylight work. He wanted Louis to have what he wanted, so he made sure to make it work. In front of the windows Harry had built a long bench that Louis planned to put a bunch of pillows and blankets on for the perfect reading nook where he could make himself a small nest.

Harry had already taken apart the bed and rebuilt the frame in the new room, covering it with an old sheet to keep from getting any paint on the wooden headboard and footboard. The rest of the furniture would be staying in the old room while Harry finished building new side tables and a new dresser.

Louis slipped his bottom lip between his teeth as he carefully painted around the windows in smooth, even coats. Harry was working next to him with a smaller paintbrush, meticulously outlining the edges of the walls and the edges of the windows. The alpha hummed quietly while they worked, Louis was pretty sure it was an old Journey song. The deep echo of Harry’s voice made Louis’ heart melt every time, without fail.

Louis dipped his brush into the paint, smudging white paint on the tip of his pointer finger. It coated his skin thickly, like he’d dipped it in white chocolate. It reminded him of white chocolate covered strawberries that he used to love before everything changed. Harry reminded him of dark chocolate. He was a strong flavor, with a bitter twist to it, but he paired so perfectly with the sweetness that Louis himself held. With this in mind, he turned to Harry and poked his cheek where his dimple hid and left behind a dab of white paint with a cheeky grin.

He giggled as Harry’s eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped in fake scandal.

“Oh, you’re in trouble now,” Harry warned with a smirk before lunging towards Louis and smearing his paintbrush across Louis’ cheek.

The omega gasped as cool paint ran across his cheek. “You didn’t!” He squealed and dipped his fingers in the paint can, only to have his wrist caught by Harry’s hand. “No!” Louis shrieked and twisted his wrist to try to yank it from the alpha’s strong grip.

Harry grinned, pulling Louis’ hand behind his back and using his paint-covered fingers to smudge lines of white paint over his jaw. His smile deepened as the boy giggled breathlessly and he leaned in for a kiss.

Louis took the opportunity to lean in and rub his cheek against Harry’s to rub the paint back onto the alpha. He sniggered at the expression on Harry’s face and scurried across the room, holding his brush at the ready.

Giggles peeled out of Louis as Harry wore a mischievous smirk, his eyes shining bright with glee. The alpha wiggled his fingers, creeping towards him, though they both knew that if Harry really wanted to he could have Louis pinned in an instance. Louis bit his lip to hold back his grin and dove towards Harry with his painted fingers stretched out.

Harry chuckled and scooped Louis up with ease, dodging his paint-y hands and pinning them above his head. “Gotcha,” he cooed and wrapped his other arm around Louis, probably getting paint on the hoodie the omega had borrowed from him.

Louis writhed in Harry’s grip, breathless from laughing so hard as he wiggled around. “Hazza, no!” He beamed, no weight behind his words at all. As Harry pulled him close, his heart beat a little faster and his excited pheromones seeped out of him.

“Hazza, no or Hazza, yes?” Harry teased playfully and bumped their noses together. The omega in front of him leaned up on his tippy toes and kissed him sweetly.

“Hazza, yes,” Louis confirmed and draped his arms over Harry’s shoulders when he released his hands. “Always a yes with you.”

Harry hummed and nudged their lips together again, eyes slipping shut. “Love you,” he murmured and slipped his hand up the back of his sweatshirt to grip his side.

“I love you too,” Louis sighed happily against Harry’s lips.

Harry reached down to playfully squeeze a handful of Louis’ ass before he pulled back and picked up his paintbrush again. “We only have one more wall to get done today and a second coat in the morning. The room should be done by tomorrow night,” he noted and glanced over to catch the omega’s elated grin and little wiggle he did when he was excited. God, he was fucking cute.

The knowledge that by the next day they would be mated put a spring in Louis’ step that’s evident by the way he was bouncing on the balls of his feet, the pink blush over his cheeks and neck, and the way his eyes brightened and shone like beautiful sapphires. It made a warmth settle in Harry’s bones in the most wonderful way.

When they finished painting the room, Louis slid under Harry’s arm and tucked himself into his side. They looked around the room, taking in the fresh paint and the way the sun, low in the sky, filled the room with golden light that bounced and fragmented off the freshly painted walls. Louis sighed happily, resting his head against Harry’s shoulder. “It looks great, doesn’t it?”

Harry nodded, dragging his fingertips up and down Louis’ side. “It does. You did a great job of planning it all out, sweetheart. Gonna be the perfect place for our new beginning as mated Alpha and Omega,” he murmured and nosed into Louis’ hair, kissing next to his ear. “Is there anything you want to make tomorrow special?”

As a young teen, Louis would spend hours dreaming about his future mate. He imagined entire lives for them, down to the names of their children and what breed of dog he wanted to adopt. Every aspect of his life had been poured over with wistful hope and optimism.

His dream alpha would go to work during the day, maybe a hotshot lawyer or a doctor, making plenty of money to support their family. He’d make dinner for his mate to come home to, waltzing around their large home with his pregnant belly displayed proudly. He’d maybe be a kindergarten teacher or work at a daycare. He wanted at least four kids, if not more. When the plague ripped through the country those dreams were destroyed like someone had stuck his dreams through a paper shredder and tossed the scraps into the wind to be scattered.

Louis bit his lips between his teeth and rocked back on his heels, tightening his arms around Harry. “Ummmm. I dunno. I just want it to be significant. I just want it to feel right and I just want us to be close.” He hesitated for a few seconds, a little crease forming between his brows. “Sorry if that doesn’t help much. I always dreamed about being bonded but I never imagined it would happen this way. I don’t know exactly what I want.”

He looked so soft in the dim light of evening, his eyelashes casting shadows across his high cheekbones. His skin was like porcelain, free of any signs of the harsh world or the weight or worries. Harry was so glad he had finally admitted his feelings so he could freely hold Louis and cherish him the way he deserved to be treated. He deserved the whole world and Harry would do his best to give him as much of the world as he could.

“I’ll make sure it’s special. I’ll figure something out. I want it to be exactly what it needs to be. I know I can’t give you a fancy night out to dinner or take you to a beautiful hotel, but I promise that it will be beautiful.” Harry’s breath tickled as it fanned across Louis’ skin, sending goosebumps down his neck. “We’re both going to remember it for the rest of our lives and it’ll be perfect because it’s me and you.” A sweet smile crept across Louis’ face as rosy cheeks bloomed beautifully. Roses, peaches, and kitten toes flashed behind Harry’s eyes. “Why don’t we go for a walk? We can get some more fresh air and watch the sun set.”

Louis felt like warmth and sweetness had settled in his tummy like he’d just eaten fresh chocolate chip cookies right from the oven. It felt like being home. “Okay, that sounds nice,” he agreed with gooey emotions still swirling through him. Vanilla, chocolate, and cinnamon filled his head.

With the paint cans covered and put away and the brushes cleaned and set out to dry, Louis and Harry began their work of bundling up. If Harry had to guess, it was probably late March by now. The snow was slowly melting, and green buds were sprouting from the trees, but there was still a chill in the air. They still needed their coats and mittens and hats to keep warm with the lower temperatures of evening. The warm gold hues melted into orange as the sun crept towards the horizon.

It was cold enough as they stepped out of the cabin that they could see their breath, billowing out of their mouths as they inhaled and exhaled the crisp spring air. Louis’ eyes drifted over to Harry, his visible breath momentarily taken away at the strong cut of Harry’s jaw, the slope of his nose, and the plump pillowed lips that he really loved kissing.

Harry’s head tilted to the side as he caught Louis’ gaze, his brows raising questioningly. Louis simply smiled and leaned up to kiss the alpha’s cheek. He watched those same strong features soften under his touch as if he was melting with Louis’ affection.

He adored that he had that effect on Harry. It was only fair, that Louis could do to Harry what the alpha was also able to do to him. It was a wonderful balance, a partnership with both give and take.

He used to think that he would find an alpha who would be his dominant, just like it had been with his own mother. That he would be the submissive partner to his alpha, being expected to give so his alpha could take.

Now, he was relieved that Harry was more than willing to give and give without expecting to receive anything in return. He gave Louis his heart fully and without demanding more from the omega. Louis hadn’t thought he would be so lucky to find an alpha like Harry, an alpha who he knew would sacrifice anything for him. The sentiment was returned, Louis adored Harry and he was eager to give him all of his heart, soul, and love.

Louis smiled to himself, tucking his mittened hand into Harry’s larger one and gave it a quick squeeze. They wandered together away from the cabin, listening to the hoots of a barn owl somewhere hidden among the pines. Louis loved their walks through the forest together. The way the trees rustled in the wind and whispered songs of spring floated on the wings of the cardinals.

Harry took their entwined hands and stuffed them into the pocket of his coat, pulling Louis closer to him as they stepped through the melting snow that was turning brown from the mud beneath the dusting of flurries.

“Hazza?” Louis asked in a hushed tone, quiet so as not to break the tranquility that hung like dew.

The alpha glanced down at him and offered him a smile, green eyes tinted hazel under the orange glow that lit the trees.

“I wish my mom was here. I wish I could tell her about you,” Louis murmured. His mother would have been so excited for him, overjoyed that her son had found an alpha as wonderful as Harry was.

Harry’s eyes softened as he gazed down at his sweet love. “I know. I wish I could have met her. She must have been an amazing woman to raise a son like you. I think she would be really proud of who you are.” Harry himself wished that he had a family who would care that he found an omega. He was glad his father wasn’t around anymore. He wouldn’t want Louis to be anywhere near that awful man. Someone so cruel and toxic would look at Louis’ purity and his light and try to snuff it out.

“She would have loved you. She always was a sucker for men with dimples,” Louis laughed softly, nudging his shoulder against Harry’s. “My sisters too. I think they would have all had a crush on you and formed their own little fan club. You’re quite the stud, you know.”

A laugh bubbled up from Harry’s chest, shaking his shoulders. “Oh yeah? I’ve never had a fan club before. Might be kinda fun,” he joked lightly with a mischievous smirk that pulled at his dimples. “Who do you think the president would be?”

Louis scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You’re a fool if you think anyone other than me would lead your fan club,” he hummed and playfully shoved Harry.

With a satisfied smile, Harry wrapped his arms around Louis and nuzzled his nose against his cheek. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Peaches,” he sighed happily.

The boy preened under Harry’s touch, pride filling his chest as he nestled closer to the alpha against his broad, firm chest. It was lovely, how just his stature could bring Louis to a melted puddle of himself, feeling incredibly safe and loved just from his firm embrace. When you add in Harry’s scent, Louis just disintegrated.

Louis craned his head back, lifting his face to the sky. Oranges, yellows, and reds had given way to pinks and purples as the sun slipped behind the horizon. The stars would soon be filling the sky and it would be time to curl up in front of the fire. He inhaled the scent of earth, pine, and maple syrup from the sap that oozed from the maple trees that were scattered amongst the pine trees.

The setting sun and the smells of spring reminded him of when he was just a child. Bare feet running through mud, crisp air biting his nose, and snow crystals icing his lungs.

“When I was a little kid my family went on a trip to visit my grandma,” Louis began and stooped to pluck a sprig of juniper from the brush under the pines. He pressed it to his nose and inhaled the scent. “She lived in a small town outside of Montreal. I can’t quite remember what town it was, but I remember she took us to a beautiful garden. They were having a maple syrup tapping festival and my grandma and her friends from the library were making pancakes with the previous year’s syrup.

“My sisters and I ate like ten pancakes each. We were so hopped up on sugar that we were running circles around all of the men and women tapping the trees. My grandma got so annoyed with us that she swatted at us with her purse and told us to go play on the swings to be out of the way. We lasted only ten minutes before we got bored, so we ended up playing hide and seek among the trees. The ground was slick from the mud and as Lottie was running after me, she slipped and fell on her back. She was absolutely covered in mud. I remember laughing at her so hard that I got the hiccups and the next thing I knew she was throwing a handful of mud at me,” Louis giggled softly at the memory.

“We were laughing so hard as she, Fizz, and I slung mud at each other. At some point, I don’t remember who, but one of us got the bright idea to take our boots off to run bare foot through the mud. We raced through the trees in the park, hiding from each other and scurrying away when one of us got too close. I was the fastest out of the three of us, so I had managed to outrun them and at some point got a little lost. I stopped running when I came upon a statue in a dead flower bed. There was a tall man in a fancy coat dipping a petite woman as they danced. I remember sitting and staring at the two figures, feeling a pull in my heart. At the time, I didn’t know that I was an omega but I felt a faint desire to have what they had.”

Harry smiled down at Louis, observing the way Louis’ eyes crinkled and shined a little bluer at the memories. Everything about the omega drew him in and made him want more.

“Apparently I was gone for too long and my sisters couldn’t find me so they’d gotten worried. I thought I would be in so much trouble when my grandma found me, but she simply crouched down next to me and looked at the statue. She explained that they were an alpha and omega couple. He was an important businessman and a rich landowner and she was on his staff as a housekeeper. They fell in love, despite the judgment of the townspeople. When they mated, they were faced with a lot of criticism. The alpha was fiercely protective of his omega and he vowed to her that he would make it okay for them to be together. His promise came true as he eventually proved to the people that their love was pure and a law was passed that an alpha and an omega could mate, no matter their class.

“I didn’t know why at the time, but the image of the two lovers stuck in my head for years. When I dreamed of a future, I pictured those two caught in mid-dance. When I presented, it all made sense why I’d been so enraptured by the love story,” Louis hummed and dropped the sprig of juniper to the ground. “I found what the omega found. An alpha to love me and cherish me forever.”

The smile spread across Harry’s lips deepened, dimples cratering into his cheeks as he gazed at his omega. “Your mind is a beautiful thing, Lou,” he breathed and bent down to nuzzle their noses together.

Louis’ cheeks bloomed as he hummed and leaned up on his toes to press a soft kiss against the alpha’s lips. The sun was gone now, the moon shimmering through the sparse clouds and the stars speckled the night sky. It took the breath right out of his chest, making his head feel fuzzy and full of adoration.

They emerged from the woods behind the barn, listening to the bleating of the sheep and the nickering of Libby and Jackson in the comfort of the cozy stalls. Louis crouched next to the two lambs, cooing at them softly as Harry worked to clean the old hay and spread the feed to each animal. He smiled as he stroked their downy wool, kissing the tops of their sweet heads.

Harry finished his tasks quickly and then they were headed back into their home to warm up in front of the furnace. By the time Louis was out of his winter clothing and into his sweater dress, he was yawning softly and his lids were heavy. When they curled up on the couch together, he pillowed his head on Harry’s shoulder and rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his palm. Harry’s hand rubbed soothing circles into his hip, leaving tingles in its wake as he read quietly to Louis.

His voice rumbled in his chest, deep and calm. It was one of Louis’ favorite things about Harry, the slow drawl in the timber of his words from years of growing up in the south before he moved north to Michigan with his father.

Around and around those fingers trailed, slowly pulling the edge of his sweater up to ghost his fingers over the soft skin of Louis’ hip and thigh. It was sweet and soft, lulling Louis into a gentle slumber, slumped against Harry’s side.

The boy wouldn’t wake until the morning, not even as Harry scooped him up off the couch and laid him on the mattress that remained in the old bedroom until they were ready to move into the new room and climbed in next to him.

When he did finally wake, it was to the smell of tea and maple tickling his nose. Pots clattered in the kitchen and he could hear the faint crackling of the fire in the living room. His lips slowly spread in a soft smile as he rolled onto his back and stretched his limbs, humming sleepily. Blue eyes blinked blearily as his lids fluttered open to catch the mug of tea steaming on the table next to the mattress. His hands wrapped around the mug, cradling its warmth as he padded towards the kitchen.

Louis slipped into the kitchen, his smile widening into a grin as he took in the griddle of pancakes on the stove and a jar of maple syrup on the counter. His alpha was the best, always making him yummy food and pampering him in the mornings.

“You’re the best,” Louis sighed and fit himself against Harry’s side as he sipped the steaming mug of tea. The warmth from Harry’s skin seeped through the omega’s sweater.

A chuckle fell from Harry’s lips as the boy nestled into him like a kitten, a purr echoing through his chest. “Good morning to you too, baby.” His arm looped around his waist and he turned to kiss his forehead. “Sleep okay?”

Louis nodded and buried his face in his chest, inhaling his scent deeply. “Mhmm. Thanks for carrying me to bed,” he murmured before pulling away so Harry could take care of the pancakes and avoid burning them. He loved cuddling with the man, but not enough to be okay with burnt pancakes. As Harry turned back to the stove Louis hopped up onto the countertop within arm’s reach, sipping on his tea.

Batter bubbled on the griddle as Louis swung his legs, letting his heels tap against the cupboards. He liked watching Harry. His brows were always expressive, a crease forming between them when he was focusing. “After breakfast we should put a second coat on the wall. It should be dry by tonight and we’ll be ready,” the alpha noted, glancing over at Louis to catch the excited gleam in his eyes.

Strawberry lips pulled into a shy smile, spreading a blush from his neck to his cheeks. “Only a few more hours as a single omega. I feel like I should do something to celebrate one last time.”

Harry chuckled and flipped the pancakes with ease. “Oh yeah? Like what?” He mused.

Louis shrugged his shoulders, lifting the mug to his lips. “Not sure. Not like I can go to a bar and drink like other omegas do. Can’t have one last one night stand,” he joked playfully, poking Harry’s side with his toe as the alpha tensed up at the mere mention of a one night stand.

“Maybe that’s a good thing then,” Harry mumbled, lower lip pouting.

A giggle bubbled from Louis’ chest, spilling from between his pink lips. “Perhaps it is. This is the last time I’m gonna be a single omega, though.”

Harry nodded and flipped the pancakes onto a plate before sticking it in the oven to keep them warm. “Good. Don’t want you to be single for a second longer than you have to. I’m gonna make you forget what life was even like before you had my knot, you won’t be able to remember what being untouched and empty felt like.”

The words crept through Louis’ veins and ignited his skin, sending shivers down his spine. His breath hitched, barely noticeable as his grip on his mug tightened. “Oh,” he breathed and curled his toes as a small amount of slick began to gather. His legs spread on their own, letting a waft of his scent loose.

He could tell the alpha knew what he was doing to him, he knew that his words were affecting the omega. It felt a bit like they were playing a game, like they were stalking in circles teasing one another. He wasn’t entirely sure where this game would lead, knowing that Harry had too much self-control to give in to his urges and take Louis until the moment was just right.

Harry moved between Louis’ legs, keeping an eye on the pancakes still as he let his hands rest on the omega’s thighs. “You’ll be so full and pretty sitting on my cock. My cum pumping into you and locking you onto my knot. Slick making you so, so wet for me. Like such a good omega. Dripping wet with how much you need it,” he whispered and slowly slid his hands up Louis’ thighs as he leaned closer to whisper into Louis’ ear. “You’re gonna be such a well-fucked little thing.” His breath tickled Louis’ skin, hands settling on his hips beneath the forest green sweater. “Unless you’d miss your single life better? Maybe you like being empty and pure too much?”

With a quiet mewl, Louis tilted his head to the side and let his lids fall shut. The slick that was merely gathering before was now seeping from his hole and soaking into the cotton panties. “No, don’t want to be single. Don’t want to be empty,” he whined as his legs spread wider, the sweater riding up to expose the white cotton and lace.

“No? I thought you wanted to have one last celebration? One last one night stand,” Harry teased lightly, fingers sliding to play with the lace edges on Louis’ hips. Peaches and vanilla were thick and intoxicating, filling his head and his dick with interest.

Louis whimpered, his mug of tea forgotten on the counter next to him. “Please, Alpha. I don’t want anyone else. Just you forever.” His breathing stuttered as Harry’s lips dragged down his neck and skated over his collarbones.

Harry watched the omega’s reaction, a satisfied smirk playing at his lips as the boy melted under his touch. “Really?” He hummed and crouched down so that his face was between his legs, breath ghosting over Louis’ thighs. “You sure? Because I’ll give you anything and everything you’ll ever need.”

A shiver jolted through Louis’ body as Harry’s breath fanned over his skin so close to where he really wanted him. The back of his sweater was wet with desire, probably leaving behind a pool of slick. “Yes, Alpha. I’m sure. Never been so sure about anyone or anything in my life.”

Louis’ fingers trembled as he played with the hem of his sweater, pulling the thick material up over his hips. With a whine, he scooted closer to the edge of the counter and closer to Harry’s face. He sank back against the counter, wet lips pressing against the inside of his thigh. He wanted so much more, _needed_ more. His bottom lip caught between his teeth as stubble scratched against his sensitive skin towards the white lace. A broken moan fell from his lips as a warm, slick tongue dragged a stripe up to the lace edge of his panties and then it was gone.

With a frustrated whimper, his eyes shot open in confusion to see Harry pulling away with a smirk. “Pancakes are done, princess.”

Louis pouted, his hole clenching sadly around nothing. “Alpha, please?”

Harry shook his head and tucked a strand behind Louis’ ear before pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Not yet, babygirl. It’s time for breakfast. Wait for tonight, it’ll be worth it,” he promised and pulled the plate from the oven, adding more pancakes to the stack before turning the griddle off.

When he hopped down from the counter with Harry’s help, Louis looked back to see a puddle of wet slick pooled on the counter where he had been sitting. He blushed, heat spreading down his neck. With wide eyes, he watched Harry drag his fingers through the puddle and lift it to his nose.

Harry inhaled the smell of Louis’ slick deeply, groaning at the sugary sweet peaches and vanilla. It was so, so tempting to take a taste, but he knew it would be better if he waited for their mating ceremony. The buildup was important, and he always was a sucker for a bit of teasing. As an idea sparked behind his eyes, he smirked and brought the finger to Louis’ lips. “Taste?”

Blue eyes clouded and his lips grew hooded. With an eager nod, he let Harry’s finger press between his lips as peaches and arousal coated his tongue. When he withdrew his finger, Harry leaned forward to lick into Louis’ mouth, chasing the aftertaste of his sweet slick. “Mmmm, you’d taste good on pancakes.”

Louis’ chest was heaving at that point, his hole clenching and unclenching eagerly. Harry would surely be the death of him, with how he seemed to love working him up to a brink before pulling away to watch the omega writhe desperately. It was so painfully and wonderfully good.

Harry’s lips parted from Louis’ as he pulled away and carried the pancakes towards the table, looking at Louis expectantly from his seat. He watched the omega, all flushed cheeks and cloudy blue eyes, as he padded over to the dining room table and settled in his chair across from Harry. He felt a little floaty, like he wasn’t tethered to the ground and could drift away blissfully at any moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost my lovelies....


	9. Chapter 9

It didn’t take long for Harry and Louis to get the second coat of paint completed, maybe only an hour to an hour and a half. The two would still need to wait a few hours until the paint dried before they could hang the curtains and carry the mattress into the bedroom to make the bed. In the meantime, Harry had a few more chores he needed to get done and Louis had mentioned wanting to make something special for dinner.

The alpha grabbed the paint cans and brought them into the small cellar to store them away in case they needed them later. While he was down there, Louis busied himself with cleaning the brushes and scrubbing the paint from his leggings from their paint fight the day before. He wasn’t able to get all of it out of the stretchy fabric, but it was better.

Harry stretched his arms above his head, grunting at the tight knot between his shoulders when he got to the top of the ladder that separated the back mudroom and the cellar beneath it. He could hear the soft sounds of humming from the kitchen and he smiled to himself. Quietly, he entered the living room and looked around the corner.

He loved how often he could find Louis singing or humming to himself as he performed mundane tasks. The omega was so sweet and lovely which was rare in the post-apocalyptic world they found themselves in. Harry wanted nothing more than to hide Louis away forever, protecting him from the cruelty and harsh reality of the world.

With a bitten back smile, he leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen and crossed his arms. Louis’ melodic voice carried through the air like the sweet sound of wind chimes on a lazy summer morning. The boy was standing in front of the sink, the sweater he was now wearing just barely covering his perky, round bottom. His beauty completely blew Harry’s mind every time. His boy was like brown sugar. Golden, sweet, soft, and delicious. God Harry loved him.

“You gonna stand there all day?” Louis hummed, flicking a glance over his shoulder with lips quirked up in a teasing smile. “Might have to start charging you by the minute for how much you’re ogling my ass.”

A loud bark of a laugh escaped as Harry shook his head. “I dunno, my love. I do love the view from here,” he conceded and scratched at his jaw, itching his prickly facial hair that was perhaps getting a bit long. He should probably trim it before tonight. He wouldn’t shave completely though, Louis claimed to like the dark stubble that covered the alpha’s chin and jaw.

“I’ll take my three hundred bucks, then,” Louis laughed and rung his leggings out in the sink before turning to face Harry. “I could probably charge you even more though.”

“I’d pay every single penny. You’re priceless, sweetheart.” Harry took the leggings from his boy and moved to the porch to hang them up on the line. He pulled the second pair of sheets from the line that had been washed the day before and brought them back into the house.

“Are you still planning on going hunting?” Louis asked and settled down into the many blankets on the couch, burrowing into the soft materials surrounding him.

With a nod, Harry folded up the fresh sheets and set them on the recliner, knowing full well that Louis would just refold them anyway. “I have to check on the animals before I head out, but I’ll probably leave shortly.”

Louis offered a smile and pulled his fuzzy blankets around himself like a cocooned kitten settling in for a cozy nap. With a hum, he made grabby hands at the alpha until Harry succumbed to his cuteness with a fond grin. Strong arms wrapped around him as Harry slid in between him and the back of the couch, careful to not jostle Louis too much.

Harry’s pleasant hum reverberated in his chest, sounding more like a deep purr. The low rumbling sent waves of protection and tranquility through Louis’ body, warming his skin and calming his nerves. He was excited for their mating ceremony later that day, but he was a little anxious. He didn’t know quite what to expect and the anticipation of the rest of his life-changing left him feeling nervous. It was such a big moment, one that he would remember for his remaining days on earth and the weight of that was not lost on him.

Pine, vanilla, and bonfire smoke drifted to the omega’s nose from Harry releasing calming pheromones to soothe the slight anxiety coming from his boy. He was nervous too, perhaps to a lesser extent though. Soft hair tickled Harry’s nose as he nuzzled the top of Louis’ head and pressed gentle kisses against his scalp.

After only a few minutes, Harry forcibly dragged himself away from Louis. He could lay there all day, but he knew he really did need to get some things done before tonight. With a kiss to Louis’ forehead, Harry got to his feet and pulled on his heavy muck boots. “I’ll be back in a few hours with something for dinner,” he promised with one last affectionate glance at his boy.

Mud stuck to his boots as he made his way towards the shabby barn of animals, a slight chill in the air nipping at his nose and turning his nose red. He very much looked forward to warmer weather to give his heavy coat, boots, and winter ware a break. Louis was made for summer, he was sure. He could already picture the omega skipping through the fields of wildflowers, blue eyes lit with sunlight and warm kisses across golden skin.

The heavy barn door swung open as Harry stepped inside, greeted by the bleating of sheep and soft moos from the dairy cows. He greeted each one with a murmur and checked on their stalls and food. It would be good to get them back out of the barn as well so they could roam free in the spring.

Upon deciding that his cows, sheep, horses, and chickens were doing well, Harry grabbed his shotgun and ammo pouch that he belted across his pelvis. With his shotgun left unloaded and balanced on the crook of his arm, he set out into the woods in search of either rabbit or grouse, maybe a deer if he was extra lucky.

He’d always loved going hunting, purely for the fact that he got to enjoy the woods in complete silence. He didn’t necessarily love killing animals and he limited it to what he would actually use, never killing or taking more than he needed.

He had learned early on that it was important to respect mother nature. Living in the city made men think they controlled their environment but when you remove a man from the city and the ease of living in the suburbs, they learn that nature is not a force to be messed with. Mother nature doesn’t care if you have a nice car, a good job, or if you demand power. In an instant, the forest could have you on your knees begging for mercy because, though it can be hard to admit, you’re at the whim of the wild.

It gave Harry a sense of confidence, knowing that in a world so unpredictable and messy, he had learned to adapt. He was able to live in the grisly reality of the Canadian wilderness and had learned to respect it. Here, in the cold forest surrounded by pines and brush, Harry had never felt so at home.

Louis laid on the couch, nuzzled into his blankets for a little under an hour before he decided he should probably prepare for that evening. He’d start with a bath to help him relax and put his mind at ease. As he stood in the bathroom, he nibbled on his bottom lip and examined the stash of dried oranges and dried rosemary. It wasn’t exactly the bath bombs he had been so fond before the pandemic, but they would do the job.

Steam rolled off of the water as he filled the tub and placed a handful of dried orange slices along with rosemary sprigs that diffused spicy, citrus aromatics into the air that would pair well with his natural scent. Louis hummed happily as he sunk into the tub, his skin turning pink in the hot water that was just barely cool enough to stand being in it.

He sighed deeply and let his lids flutter shut as the water soothed his back and had him practically melting in the warmth.

It was silent in the cabin, aside from the steady dripping of water droplets falling from the icicles that hung from the roof. He could see the spindly ice formations from his seat in the tub and watched them slowly melt.

Louis reached over for the razor that Harry hardly ever used and got to work shaving himself smooth. As an omega he naturally had less body hair, more like thin wisps of peach fuzz. After the plague, he hadn’t really bothered with shaving because you could hardly tell if he didn’t but with tonight being his mating ceremony, he wanted to be fully prepared. He carefully dragged the razor over his legs and his crotch until nothing was left and he was the epitome of the perfectly presented omega. He knew Harry wouldn’t have minded one bit if he didn’t prepare himself, but he wanted it for himself as much as he wanted it for Harry.

With his legs and underarms smooth and the water having run cold, he pulled the plug on the tub and lifted himself out of the bath. He had made quick work of rubbing lotion over his freshly shaved body before wrapping himself in a towel and stepping into their old bedroom.

The real trick was trying to figure out what to wear. He wished he could have gone shopping with his best friend from before to find the perfect outfit but he’d have to make do with the pieces he already had. He wanted to wear something white, so he pulled out every white piece of clothing he had. As it turned out, he didn’t have all that much aside from a sweater, a sundress, and a cropped t-shirt.

“For fuck’s sake,” Louis huffed and crossed his arms with his brows furrowed as he surveyed his dresser. His bottom lip pulled into his mouth as he bit it between his teeth in thought. He paced back and forth in the bedroom, irritation creeping up the back of his neck. It was true that all omegas were a bit particular, and if things were exactly perfect they tended to get frustrated and at times could lash out. He was no exception to this, especially when something this important was the subject. As he was making his fourth pass around the room, he spotted one of Harry’s sweaters peaking out from behind the nightstand.

He bent down and plucked up the sweater, a slow smile creeping across his lips. It was perfect. The pale blue cardigan would be perfect for wearing with the white sundress. He wiggled cheerfully in what Harry probably would have considered his happy dance and put the rest of his clothes away. He neatly folded the sweater and dress on top of the dresser and plucked his favorite pair of white lace panties from the top drawer.

With the victory of having his clothes picked out, he floated into the freshly painted room with a bit of pep in his step. It looked like the walls were mostly dry, so he got to work hanging the curtains. He’d been relieved to find a set of white sheers while they were on their supply run, they looked perfect in the white room with light timber accents.

Louis could already imagine the sheers floating in the breeze when it would be warm enough to open the windows of the cabin and let fresh air into the cabin. He’d wanted to have a place of tranquility and peace for them to retreat to at night, and he thought they did a pretty good job so far. When Harry returned from his hunt, they could move the mattress in and add the finishing touches.

It wasn’t until a few hours later that Harry finally returned to their small cabin in the woods with a pheasant swinging from his hand and his shotgun nestled into the crook of his arm. Louis grinned as he caught sight of Harry stopping in at the barn first to put away his gun and pluck the bird, and he grabbed their matches to light the candles that he’d set out across the cabin.

With the glow from the candles flickering across the walls of their home, Louis slipped on the outfit he had set out and smoothed the wrinkles in the sundress. Harry’s cardigan was much too big for him, but it hung off his shoulder and fell over his hands in a way that he knew Harry would find endearing.

From his seat on the couch, he watched Harry come inside a few minutes later and set the bird in the sink for Louis to take care of. When the alpha turned, he spotted Louis curled up on the sofa and a grin stretched across his lips.

“Hey baby,” Harry hummed and washed his hands off before making his way over to Louis and kneeling in front of him. Large hands wrapped around Louis’ much smaller ones as Harry lifted them to his lips and pressed kisses across his knuckles. “You look beautiful.”

Louis’ cheeks blushed pink and he gave Harry a shy smile. “Thanks. Wanted to look good for tonight.”

Harry’s lips trailed up Louis’ wrists to his shoulder until they settled over that spot on his neck. “You always look good. Don’t even need to try,” he murmured and nuzzled his nose against the omega’s scent gland.

With a giggle, Louis combed his fingers through Harry’s hair and wrinkled his nose. “You stink. You smell like gunpowder and dead bird,” he teased and pushed gently at Harry’s shoulders to nudge him away. “Go shower, you smelly alpha. I’ll get started on dinner.”

The dimpled grin turned to a dramatic pout as Harry whined and grabbed Louis’ hand to place one last kiss to the back of his hand. “Fine.”

Louis rolled his eyes fondly at Harry’s dramatic antics and kicked a foot out to smack Harry’s butt as he turned to walk towards the bathroom. He giggled at the look on Harry’s face and skipped towards the kitchen, ignoring Harry’s faux scandalized expression.

The spray of water in the shower soon filled the air and before long, the deep raspy notes of Harry’s singing voice joined in. It felt so utterly perfect like this. Louis in the kitchen cooking them dinner, Harry taking care of their animals and singing in the shower. Louis wouldn’t mind if this was what the rest of his life was like. He didn’t need anyone else but Harry.

As he sliced up the meat, he hummed quietly along with whatever Harry was singing in the shower. He was fairly sure that it was an old Johnny Cash song, but he could be wrong. He didn’t used to like country music before he found Harry, but the alpha had changed his mind. He was sure almost anything would sound good with Harry’s voice but the deep, drawling lyrics of country music paired well with the slight twang in Harry’s voice.

Carrots, potatoes, turnips, and onions were added to the crock of pheasant along with a healthy bit of butter that Louis had recently learned how to make from the milk the cows in the barn produced. He’d been so excited when Harry taught him how to make the butter, knowing that their food would taste so much better with the new addition to their pantry. He’d already tried out their new butter by making pastries and he couldn’t wait to experiment more.

When the oven was preheated, Louis carefully placed the heavy crock of pheasant and veggies onto the bottom rack with a heavy lid covering it for an hour or so. As he closed the oven door, he jumped at the feeling of hands on his hips. “Fuck, Harry! You scared me,” Louis squeaked, spinning around to shove at Harry gently.

The alpha grinned and shrugged his broad shoulders, pulling Louis closer with the grip on his hips. “Sorry, baby,” he murmured and placed a kiss on the sweet boy’s cheek. “While that’s cooking, do you want to get the mattress and bed set up? I could use some help with the mattress.”

Louis nodded and washed his hands off before following Harry towards their room. He could smell a deep musky smell mingling with pine and vanilla, adding a darkness to Harry’s scent. He watched the muscles move under Harry’s thin t-shirt as the alpha picked up the bottom of the mattress. He hardly realized he was in a daze until Harry cleared his throat with an amused smirk. “Sorry!” Louis giggled and moved to help Harry navigate the mattress through the door.

He didn’t need to do much lifting, Harry just needed his help maneuvering the queen-sized mattress through the door and onto the bed frame so he could focus on lifting the heavy object. They worked together to stretch the fitted sheet over the mattress and Louis smoothed out the wrinkles in the sheets once they were on. The dark mossy green color of the duvet complimented the lighter tones in the room well, and Louis couldn’t wait to climb into bed and enjoy their new room together.

Harry helped him carry in the remaining pillows, blankets, and other soft knickknacks for Louis to decorate their room. The bed was covered in soft throw blankets, luxurious pillows, and even a soft plushie that Harry honestly had no idea Louis had even picked up last time they were in town. The omega reminded him of a raccoon, hoarding little trinkets and soft things that made him happy.

“I have something for you,” Harry hummed and held up a finger as he backed out of their room. Louis could hear his heavy footsteps quickly running towards the kitchen, pulling a small laugh from his lips at how excited Harry was.

When the alpha returned, his cheeks were tinged pink and his hands were hidden behind his back. “I found something while we were in town a few weeks back, that time when you found the guitar. I was looking for something perfect to give you as a courting gift but there wasn’t really a moment that felt right, so I guess it’s more of a mating gift now,” he hummed and placed the crystal heart figurine into the palm of Louis’ small hand.

With blue eyes shining bright and pink lips parting so beautifully, Louis stared at the heart in his hands and examined it closely.

“I think it might be rose quartz, but I really don’t know. I’m not so good with types of crystals and stuff. I thought it was perfect for you though. It’s pretty like you. I don’t know. If you don’t like it that’s okay, I can always find something else to give you. I know it’s not exactly the most extravagant gift and I wish I could give you something better but – “ Harry’s eyes widened as Louis’ lips smashed against his, cutting his rambling off, which was probably a good thing. He tended to ramble when he was nervous.

Louis wrapped his arms around Harry’s shoulders and grinned against his lips, the kiss sloppy and a little off-center but still perfect. “Alpha, it’s beautiful. I love it,” he whispered and pecked countless kisses over his alpha’s face. “It’s so perfect and I love it so much.”

The worried crease between Harry’s brows disappeared as he smiled slowly. “I’m glad you like it,” he murmured and brushed a lock of hair off Louis’ forehead.

“Not like. Love,” Louis corrected and pulled back so he could examine the crystal more, lips bitten back from a giddy smile. “I know the perfect place,” he hummed and scurried over to the window seat to set the heart in the sill where they would be able to see it from the bed.

He pulled his cardigan around himself tighter and returned to Harry’s side, leaning into him as he gazed at the rose quartz. “It’s so perfect. I love you so much. Fuck. I didn’t know it was even possible to feel like this,” he giggled, feeling like his insides were being squeezed tightly and like his heart would climb right into this throat if he loved Harry any more.

Strong arms looped around his waist as Harry stepped closer to him and nuzzled his nose into Louis’ hair. “I know how you feel, little one.” A low purr came from deep in the alpha’s chest as he cuddled his soon-to-be mate.

The two stood beside the bed and watched the cardinals hop around the melting snow as the sun dipped low in the sky, Louis’ back pressed firmly to Harry’s chest. Harry was beyond proud of the room he had built for his boy, a deep sense of accomplishment and fulfillment from providing his dream home. Little fingers danced across his forearm that was resting across Louis’ tummy, tracing shapes and writing letters that Harry was pretty sure spelled out ‘love’ and maybe ‘Louis Styles’, though he couldn’t be sure.

As the sun disappeared behind the pines and the sky was awash with hues of indigo, purple, and magenta, the timer in the kitchen went off. Louis flinched a bit at the sudden noise and offered Harry a soft smile before untangling himself from the alpha to check on dinner.

The aromas of buttery vegetables and roasted pheasant flooded the kitchen as the door of the oven was opened and the lid on the dutch oven was lifted. A pleased smile presented itself on his lips as he carefully set the crock on the top of the stove. He was getting much better at cooking with the limited resources they had, and he was pleasantly surprised with how well the pheasant roast had turned out. Though, they still had to actually taste it.

“Honey, dinner’s done!” Louis called out and spooned the vegetables and meat onto their plates. The floorboards creaked behind him as Harry reached up into one of the cupboards that Louis couldn’t reach to pull down a bottle of white wine. It was Louis’ favorite.

There wasn’t much conversation as the two ate, Harry’s foot hooked around Louis’ ankle under the table as a steady reminder of Harry’s love. When they finished eating, Harry took their plates to the kitchen to clean up for Louis while the omega blew out the candles scattered around the main area of the cabin and placed candles in the bedroom to set the mood for the events that were sure to come shortly now that the sun was set and the sky was full of shimmering stars.

With the dishes done, Harry dried his hands off and took a deep breath in an attempt to slow the rapid beating of his heart. His fingers quivered in anticipation and his stomach felt like it was flipping around. He knew Louis probably was experiencing similar emotions, so he retreated to the bedroom to find Louis staring out the windows.

He leaned against the doorframe and watched the smaller boy, the moonlight bouncing off his blue eyes and the dim glow of the candles illuminating his delicate features. Harry’s eyes skated over the slope of Louis’ adorable button nose, the curve of his small lips, and the shadows cast by his high cheekbones. His boy was a sight to behold and he had a feeling he would spend the entirety of his life being fascinated by the omega.

As Harry watched his boy, Louis turned his head and beamed at Harry. “Come look!” He breathed and waved the alpha over eagerly. Slow steps made their way to the omega and stopped behind him before Harry was wrapping his arms around his small frame. “Look!”

Harry followed Louis’ finger that pointed towards the sky outside the window. The dark sky was alight with green, blue, and red swirls in the sky and cast a glow of colors across the snow. Harry grinned and rested his chin on Louis’ shoulder. “Northern lights,” he murmured and tangled his fingers with Louis’. “Strange, they don’t usually occur this late in March.”

Louis’ eyes were lit up with wonder as he watched the colors flowing through the sky amongst the millions of stars in the sky. “Amazing,” he breathed and beamed up at the sight before them. He could feel Harry nod against his shoulder, but he was enraptured by the view. He’d never seen anything like this before. They didn’t have northern lights in Vermont, though he’d seen pictures before that didn’t do this display any justice. It took his breath away.

Harry watched along with Louis, letting the boy soak in this moment. He himself had seen this a few times, but every time it was still just as beautiful as the first time he saw the northern lights. It felt like true destiny that the galaxy allowed them this display on the night they would mate. It was like the stars were aligning and the universe was creating the perfect night.

After a few more minutes, Harry slowly and gently led Louis backward away from the window towards the bed with a hand on Louis’ elbow. They would be able to see them from the skylight above their bed as the green lights filtered through the windows and filled the room with a palette of beautiful colors.

Louis turned towards Harry and offered a smile up at him, his bottom lip bit between his teeth. Peaches and something spicier like Rosemary filled his nose as he ducked down to kiss Louis’ jaw. “Are you ready?” Harry asked quietly, skating his fingers up and down Louis’ arms.

The omega nodded timidly and took a deep breath. His heart was pounding in his chest as he looked up at the strong, protective, and sweet alpha looming over him. “I’m ready,” he consented in a whisper and reached up to cup Harry’s jaw.

He watched the smile crawl across Harry’s lips as dimples made their appearance. He was drawn impossibly closer as Harry leaned down and nudged their lips together gently and hesitantly at first. A sigh of relief fell from him as he finally pressed against Harry’s lips and felt the warmth of his breath fanning over his face.

Their kisses were tender and slow, lips moving languidly as hands caressed and cherished one another. As a large hand slid down Louis’ back, his breath caught in his throat when it found the swell of his ass. His lashes fluttered, casting shadows over his cheekbones as Harry’s hand gripped at his cheek and slowly dragged Louis onto the bed.

Louis’ thighs bracketed Harry’s hips as he straddled the alpha, their lips still connected as Harry’s hand squeezed the thick flesh of Louis’ ass.

“You have the best ass in the world,” Harry murmured and gave an appreciative squeeze.

A giggle erupted from Louis’ chest as he rested his palms on Harry’s pecs. “I doubt that. Maybe the best one you’ve seen so far, but I’m sure there’s another bum better than mind somewhere in the world.”

Harry shook his head and slipped his hand underneath Louis’ dress. “No. This is the best one. I’m sure of it,” he declared confidently and moved his other hand from its place on Louis’ hip to fall on the other cheek beneath his dress.

Pink cheeks and shining blue eyes stared down at him, peaches swirling through the air. “I love you,” Louis whispered and leaned down to press kisses up Harry’s jawline. “So much. Love you more than anything ever.”

Harry nodded and hummed his agreement before using his grip on Louis’ bum to pull him firmly against his crotch where his dick was beginning to perk up with interest. “What do you want tonight?”

Louis shrugged, tongue poking out to swipe against Harry’s pulse point. He didn’t know exactly what he wanted, he just knew he wanted everything and anything that Harry would give him. He wanted all of Harry forever.

“Do you want me to eat you out maybe? Finally get a taste of your sweetness?” Harry murmured, his pointer finger dipping under the lace material and toying with the hem of his panties.

A blush blossomed in Louis’ cheeks as he felt the first drop of slick gathering on his rim. He gave a small nod as he buried his face in Harry’s neck and pushed his hands under Harry’s shirt to feel his warm skin.

It was with ease that Harry grabbed Louis firmly and flipped them over, pressing the omega into the mattress beneath him. His eyes looked so blue, shimmering up at Harry with nothing but trust and excitement in them. Harry’s hands moved further up Louis’ dress to grip his curvy waist. “You look so pretty, baby. Your dress looks so good on you. My beautiful little flower,” he breathed and ducked down to kiss Louis’ collarbones. “Did you get all dressed up for me?”

Louis nodded shakily, his thighs quivering as cool air ghosted over his bare legs where his dress had rucked up so it was just barely covering him. “Y-yeah,” he stammered and spread his legs to make more room for Harry.

Harry hummed appreciatively and pulled down the shoulder of the cardigan. “Think we can take this off, baby girl?” He asked, smirking when Louis nodded eagerly. With a little help from Louis, he managed to pull the sweater off and toss it on the floor next to the bed. He littered Louis’ arms with kisses before taking the buttons down the front of Louis’ dress and taking his time with undoing them. With each button undone and more of Louis’ skin revealed, Harry would lay another kiss to the newly exposed skin.

Heat ebbed from each spot Harry kissed, making Louis’ nipples harden and peak against the white fabric of his dress obscenely. Louis shivered under Harry’s touch and carded his fingers through the curly head of hair above him. When his entire chest was exposed, Harry lowered his lips to hover over the pink buds on Louis’ chest. “So pretty, baby,” he whispered and pressed a kiss to the skin there.

A warm, wet tongue slipped out from Harry’s lips and swirled around his perky nipples, pulling a whimper from Louis. He’d never been touched like this before, never been appreciated or kissed in such a way until now. The new sensations sent slick straight to his hole, feeling wet and warm between his cheeks as Harry’s mouth worked over his nipples.

As Harry sucked on the nub in his mouth, another wave of slick escaped Louis and he could feel the back of his dress grow damp with arousal. In hindsight, they probably should have put a towel down or something but with Harry’s mouth working magic and his little prick as hard as it was, he could hardly think straight.

“Alpha,” Louis keened and arched his back needily, tightening his fingers in the curls between his fingers. Then the wet warmth was gone. Louis frowned and opened his eyes, looking down at Harry as he stared right back with a smirk on his lips. “No, stop. Come back,” the omega whined and lifted his hips off the bed.

“So pretty and wet, Peaches.” Harry’s voice came out in a deep gravely tone, sending shivers down Louis’ arms and legs.

Louis watched with wide eyes as Harry flipped up the skirt of his dress and groaned at the sight before him. His dick was hard, creating a small tent in his panties as slick oozed out of him and filled the air with the thick aroma of peaches, sugar, and cloves.

“Wanna let me have a taste?” Harry asked, dragging his lips up the inside of Louis’ thigh and nipping at the sensitive skin lightly.

With a strangled whimper Louis nodded eagerly and shamelessly spread his legs wider, allowing Harry to take whatever he wanted. “Please, Alpha. I’m yours.”

Harry smirked against the silky smooth skin of Louis’ thigh and sucked a mark into his pale and creamy thigh. He licked a fat stripe up to the edge of the white lace panties and took them between his teeth, pulling them slowly down his legs.

Louis’ eyes fluttered shut, hardly able to watch how sexy Harry looked with his green eyes so dark they looked like pine trees at midnight. Scruff tickled his leg as his panties were removed and tossed somewhere in a damp pile. He could hear the sheets rustle underneath Harry’s weight as the alpha crawled closer and suddenly the air was knocked out of him as he was flipped onto his front.

Louis gasped, eyes flying open once again as he now was laying on his front with his head tilted to the side so he could look out one of the windows. He shuffled his legs up so his bottom was in the air, presenting himself to Harry openly. His dress bunched up around his waist as his hole dripped readily.

What he couldn’t see was the hunger in Harry’s eyes as he stared at Louis, the lust clouding his vision as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Louis’ right cheek. His little dick twitched at the contact. For a few seconds there was nothing, and then suddenly there was everything.

With a high-pitched yelp, Louis rocked back on the feeling of Harry’s tongue being shoved into his hole. Stars flashed behind his lids as they fell shut and his lips parted in a moan. He could hear Harry’s grunt and by the way the alpha gripped his thigh firmly, he could tell Harry enjoyed the taste.

Harry’s warm, wet tongue probed inside and wiggled as he gathered peaches, sunshine, and sweetness on his tongue. Louis tasted fucking amazing, like summertime. His own cock was hanging heavily in his joggers, already thick and rock hard. He was torn between shoving his joggers down and taking Louis and spending the rest of the night with his tongue pleasuring the boy beneath him.

After a few minutes of Harry’s tongue and finger working in and out of him, Louis pushed his hips back and whined. “Alpha, please. I’m close. Need you. Need your knot,” he pleaded into the fluffy dark green duvet beneath him.

The alpha behind him smirked and simply slipped another finger into his hole, pumping it in and out as he licked at Louis’ walls and felt the boy fall apart beneath him.

Louis whimpered, the skin on the back of his neck prickling as he felt himself barreling closer to the edge. “Harry, I-I’m gonna cum. Please, Alpha! Take me,” he cried out and fisted the sheets in his small hands.

“Baby, do you think you can cum twice? Wanna see you fall apart just like this and then I’ll take you,” Harry grunted, pulling back slightly to examine Louis’ face. He didn’t want to push him too far, but his desire to absolutely wreck the omega coursed heavily through his veins.

Without hesitation, Louis nodded his head and whined high in his throat. He wanted to be good for Harry, wanted to feel everything and get washed away in how amazing and overwhelming this all was. He could feel Harry smirk against him as he dove back in and licked over Louis’ rim.

Louis couldn’t help but twitch his hips down, trying to get some friction on his prick that wasn’t bigger than his own thumb. As he ground down, he lost the contact of Harry’s tongue on him and let out a frustrated whine.

“You don’t need that, Peaches. You can cum just like this,” Harry promised and pulled Louis’ hips back towards him. “Such a good omega.”

Louis’ cheeks pinked up and his heart swelled at the praise he received. With renewed determination to cum just from Harry’s tongue, he arched his back and felt slick drip from his hole, the droplet traveling down his perineum and dropping off the tip of his dick.

Harry burrowed his tongue back into Louis and snuck two of his fingers in alongside his tongue, humming at the taste. Louis seemed to taste sweeter and headier with every passing minute. Harry hooked his fingers experimentally, groaning as Louis gasped and shoved back onto his fingers.

It took less than a minute for Louis to be a whimpering mess beneath him, chanting ‘alpha’ as Harry shoved his fingers in and out relentlessly. With a high moan, the omega beneath him was spurting onto the front of his dress. His thighs quivered and his hole gushed another load of slick onto Harry’s tongue.

“Good boy, baby. Such a good omega for me,” Harry breathed as he pulled back, chest heaving as he caught his breath. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding it for so long as he ate Louis out. With gentle hands, Harry helped Louis lay down on his back and pulled the sundress up and off of him.

A fond smile crept onto his face as Louis tugged at Harry’s shirt with a sweet whimper. “Yeah, sweetie? Want me to take it off?” Harry hummed and when the boy nodded, he yanked his t-shirt up and over his head.

Louis’ eyes were a bit unfocused but he could still see clearly how hard Harry was in his joggers, his cock stretching the fabric of his joggers as it practically tried to escape his pants. “Off,” he demanded and snapped the waistband of his sweats. The alpha chuckled and removed them as well, tossing them to join the pile of clothes on the ground beside their bed.

“Are you ready for me, my love?” Harry asked gently, trailing his thumb over Louis’ sharp cheekbone lightly.

With a soft smile Louis nodded and stared down at the monster between Harry’s legs. He was huge. Louis was sure he’d never seen a cock that big before and he knew his body would make room for it to fit, but Harry still looked massive.

Harry crawled up Louis’ body and pressed a kiss to his lips, using one hand to line himself up before he nudged just the head in.

Louis’ breath caught in his throat as he gasped at the sudden intrusion. Fuck, even the head of his cock was huge. He let out a shakey breath as he let himself adjust, thankful that Harry seemed ready to wait for him before moving.

Once he’d become accustomed to the girth, Louis nodded his head and rested his hands on Harry’s forearms on each side of his head. Slowly, he felt more of Harry slide into him, slick squelching in a way that was only a little bit embarrassing. It would probably be more embarrassing if Harry didn’t bit his lip and stare down at him with lust in his eyes like he just did.

Inch by inch, Louis took Harry in until their pelvises were flush. “Tell me when you’re good,” Harry grit out, his muscles in his arms and abs tense with the effort it took not to let go and fuck Louis’ brains out.

Louis nodded and took a deep breath, feeling the head of Harry’s cock nudging around in his belly. Gradually, the ache between his legs transformed into desire. Pain gave way to pleasure and he wanted more, more, more.

Harry could almost see the exact moment that Louis was ready as the crease between his brows disappeared and his blue eyes clouded over. “Now?” He asked breathlessly, resting his hand over Louis’ heart.

“Take me,” Louis whimpered and wrapped his silky smooth legs around Harry. He felt Harry draw back before thrusting back in, feeling fireworks going off under his skin. “F-fuck!” He mewled and let his eyes fall shut once again.

The heat and wetness around him was almost too much. It was too perfect, too good, too everything. He wanted, no _needed_ , more so he let out a low growl and gripped Louis’ hip with one hand while the other propped himself up with his palm planted on the duvet next to Louis’ head.

The smell and lingering taste of peaches were intoxicating as he thrusted more quickly into the boy, the sounds of whimpers and soft moans filling his head in the best way. He’d had sex with an omega before, but it had never felt like this. Louis seemed to be made just for him, every inch of the omega hugging him and pulling him in deeper.

“Fuck, baby, you’re so good,” Harry breathed and bit his lip harshly as he fucked into him harder. “Gonna make you mine. Never gonna let you go.”

Louis’ head fell back against the pillow, his lashes damp with sweat and clumping together. His lips were so pretty and pink, falling open with each moan and noise coming from him.

Harry’s knot was already beginning to swell gradually, his cock wet from Louis’ slick. With a groan, he let himself drop his head into the crook of Louis’ neck, hips ratcheting forward eagerly to bury more of himself into Louis.

With Harry’s scent gland right in front of him, Louis licked over his neck wetly. He didn’t bother trying to kiss, just lathed his tongue over Harry’s skin desperately. He wanted nothing more than to bite into Harry’s neck, but he knew he had to wait until Harry did it first.

As Louis licked and licked at his neck, Harry moaned and gripped Louis’ thigh harshly, probably leaving behind a few bruises. “Fuck baby girl. So good. Gonna pump you so full and make you mine. So full of me,” he panted, barely in control of what he was saying anymore.

“Please! I want you. Want you now,” Louis pleaded and tightened his legs around Harry. When Harry hit the spot deep inside him that made his toes curl, he arched his back with a loud and high-pitched moan that was edging on a scream.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut and pistoned his hips in and out, angling for the same spot to make Louis writhe beneath him. Slick coated his dick and was now covering his crotch and thighs from how wet and messy Louis was at this point. It was beyond sexy.

Louis could tell Harry was beginning to let go as his thrusts grew sloppy and the base of his cock swelled until it could hardly fit in and out. With one last thrust, Harry shoved himself into Louis and his knot locked them into place.

Warm seed flooded Louis’ insides, sending goosebumps over his skin as an orgasm ripped through him. His body tensed and his hole throbbed around the knot inside of him. Harry was filling him with his cum and Louis tossed his head back to leave room for Harry to do what he had to do.

As his came inside Louis, Harry brought his lips to Louis’ neck and sunk his teeth into his flesh. He was careful not to bite too hard but still hard enough to bond them forever. He licked over the wound and winced as Louis’ own teeth buried into his neck to leave him a matching mark that would be proudly presented.

Louis felt tears well in his eyes, his entire body trembling with the sensation of being knotted for the first time and having his soul tie itself to the alpha. _His_ alpha. The man who would be his rock, his greatest support, and the love of his life as long as they both lived.

Harry blinked back his own tears as he clutched Louis’ hand tightly, his heart hammering in his chest. “I love you, baby. I love you so much,” he breathed, peppering Louis’ neck and shoulder with kisses as much as he could reach.

“Love you too,” Louis whimpered and wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck to hug him close. He’d never felt so complete, so whole, so completely and fully loved.

Harry slipped an arm under Louis and readjusted them both into the most comfortable position they could get in while his knot was still locked inside his boy.

When they settled back into the duvet, Harry grabbed one of Louis’ favorite blankets that was within reach and draped it over them both. “My sweet omega. I’m the luckiest man on earth. Best thing to ever happen to me.”

Louis wiped at his tears and nodded, offering Harry a wet and slightly overwhelmed smile. He nestled closer to Harry and looked up at the skylight, watching the northern lights.

He felt like they were up there, dancing through the stars on the wisps of green and blue lights that curled and flowed through the night sky. Harry was his universe and he couldn’t be happier than he was in that moment. He was finally home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooooooooo?


	10. Chapter 10

Soft breath and prickly facial hair pulled Louis from the clutches of sleep as he slowly blinked awake with bleary eyes and sore muscles. Warm pine and woodsy smoke shrouded him in pleasant comfort as he and Harry lay beneath their fluffy green comforter. With a sleepy squeak, Louis yawned and stretched his arms and legs, nearly elbowing Harry in the face in the process.

The alpha grunted as Louis’ body arched off the bed and his limbs shifted. The grip he had around Louis’ waist tightened as he tugged the omega closer to his chest and pressed his face against the sweet smell coming from the gland behind his ear. With his nose to Louis’ scent, he began the steady slide back into unconsciousness and the land of dreams.

In Harry’s arms, Louis simply smiled and rubbed at his eyes. He was content to sit there forever with his alpha holding him close and the steady beating of their hearts as their chests pressed together.

His fingers lightly danced over the scars on Harry’s back, feeling the raised-up scar tissue that ripped ribbons across his muscles. The sight of them still sent a shiver through Louis’ body, but he was determined to make sure Harry knew that he was loved and cherished, despite the abuse he had faced as a child.

Louis watched the steady rise and fall of Harry’s back with each breath, finding comfort and joy in the simple fact that he was blessed to get to wake every morning with Harry at his side, or laying half on top of him as he was in their current position. His left arm was tingling with loss of circulation due to Harry’s weight on top of it, but he couldn’t bring himself to wake his alpha.

He knew he’d need to wake Harry at some point, given that he was in desperate need of a shower after the events of the previous night. As he thought of their mating ceremony, his cheeks grew warm and his heart swelled in his chest. Bringing his fingers up to his bond mark, Louis bit back an ecstatic smile and traced the risen mark that he knew was red and would be scabbed over for a few days until it fully healed.

Louis could still feel the ache in his neck as well as between his legs. He’d probably be sore for the rest of the day, as he wasn’t used to taking a knot or being fucked so thoroughly. Gingerly, he trailed his fingers down to feel the bruises pressed into his hips and the dried cum on his thighs that was peeling off in flakes. With a face, he probed around his hole to feel if he was still loose from Harry’s giant knot. He was, and he could still feel the effect Harry’s cock had on his body as his body began to stir in interest as he remembered the day before.

All of the teasing, all of the waiting, and all of the frustration had been so so worth it.

Louis had been fucked by previous boyfriends, but he never let them knot him. He’d always made them pull out before they came and would offer to finish them off with his mouth or let them cum on his chest. He had known he wanted to save that intimate moment for the alpha that would be his mate for the rest of his life, and he was so glad he had waited for Harry.

“Feelin’ okay, baby?” A deep gravelly voice spoke next to his ear, breath puffing against Louis’ scent gland. The warm strength that radiated from Harry sent waves of adoration through the omega.

Louis returned his attention to Harry and smiled a slow, languid smile. “I’m okay. A little sore but still good,” he spoke quietly, curling his body into Harry’s. He let out a soft purr and nudged his nose against Harry’s shoulder.

The alpha placed a kiss to Louis’ shoulder before pulling back and offering his new mate a comforting smile. “I’m so fucking lucky,” he murmured, brushing the fringe out of Louis’ eyes with light fingers. The usual hard sharpness in his green eyes was now subdued. He was more relaxed and his guard was down in a way Louis hadn’t seen before.

A blush lifted to his cheeks at Harry’s gentle touch. With a happy little hum, Louis scooted closer to Harry and tangled their legs together. “You sure are,” he teased and trailed his fingertips of the mark on Harry’s neck. “This looks good on you.”

Harry smirked and captured Louis’ fingers in his hand, pressing kisses to each fingertip. “As does yours, Omega.”

Louis sighed a content sigh and let his eyelids slip shut. The drag of Harry’s fingers over his skin left goosebumps in their wake as he trailed them over Louis’ arm, chest, and down his side. His insides felt like warm and gooey caramel as love and affection spread through him.

As Harry let his fingers wander over Louis’ skin, he watched the flutter of long eyelashes cast shadows over his skin as sun streamed through the window in a glow of golden light. If he was better with words, he’d write a million songs about how beautiful his mate looked languidly laying in their bed.

His touch traveled down to Louis’ tummy, feeling the dried cum on the small pudge of his belly. “Should probably let you take a shower at some point. Probably isn’t all too comfortable to have cum and slick all over you.”

Louis shrugged with a slight nod. “It’s a little gross feeling but I like being in your arms too much to move.”

A slow smile spread across Harry’s lips. “It’s a good thing we have forever to hold each other then. Come on, I’ll join you in the shower,” he promised and pecked a kiss to the tip of Louis’ nose before rolling out of bed.

Louis watched with interest as Harry’s strong naked form stood, eyeing the way his muscles flexed when he stretched. When Harry turned to catch him gazing at his alpha, Louis merely winked shamelessly and kicked the blankets off his feet. “Carry me?”

The soft pout of his pink lips and the clear blue of his big eyes were enough to have Harry immediately scooping Louis up into his arms, a strong arm under his knees and the other supporting Louis’ weight across his back. With ease, Harry carried the omega into the bathroom and set him on the edge of the tub while he turned on the shower.

He watched as the sweet omega yawned and rubbed at his eyes sleepily, his hair a fluffy mess and his cheek creased from the wrinkled sheets he’d been laying on. Fondness blossomed as he knelt in front of Louis and wrapped his arms around his small frame, unable to keep himself from rubbing their necks together as he scented his omega and claimed him once again.

A giggled bubbled in Louis’ chest as the alpha held him tight and spread his earthy pine scent on him. The brazen possessiveness Harry was exhibiting sent a tingle down the omega’s spine as Harry pressed a kiss over the mark on his neck and tongued at it curiously. The lips on his new mark felt like nothing he had ever experienced. It was like electricity was sizzling beneath the surface of his skin at Harry’s touch that made Louis feel alive with the thrill of it.

As if sensing the effect he was having on Louis, Harry nipped at the mark gently and smirked against his skin when the omega shivered and his hips twitched involuntarily. Reluctantly, he pulled away and smiled at the restrained whine Louis let out.

“Sorry, Peaches. Shower time,” Harry murmured and turned to feel the temperature of the water. He held out his hand to Louis when he decided it was just right, and helped him into the shower before stepping in behind him with his hands firmly placed on his hips.

Louis sighed and hummed happily as warm water washed down his front, washing away the sticky dried cum that coated his front and thighs. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, smiling lazily as he was rinsed clean.

Once his front was thoroughly wet, he turned his back to the spray and tilted his head to rinse his hair as well. A quiet moan of happiness slipped from his lips and his muscles loosened under the hot spray.

When Louis opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of dark green eyes staring at him with intensity that he wasn’t familiar with. “What?” He asked in confusion, glancing down at blushing at the erect cock between them. “Oh.”

Harry’s bottom lip pulled between his teeth as he took in the gorgeous sight in front of him at his omega, shiny and wet as his skin glistened with water droplets down his curvy little body. Seeing the boy so exposed and bare sent heavy waves of arousal straight to his groin.

His hands slid around from Louis’ waist to his ass, taking a cheek in each of his hands and squeezing the soft, slippery flesh. “Fuck, baby. How are you so delicious?” He sighed, his voice taking on an almost sad tone to it just because he knew he would never be able to get enough of Louis’ body, his scent, or his taste. He would forever be entranced by Louis’ beauty and it was both comforting and frustrating to be in the presence of such perfection.

Louis held back a laugh as he pulled Harry closer and nudged him under the water to get him clean. “I’ll pass on your compliments to the chef,” he joked playfully and stepped closer to Harry so his chest was brushing against the alpha’s upper stomach, the thick cock between them brushing against Louis’ own small omega prick.

He watched as Harry’s jaw clenched, his grip on Louis’ ass tightening ever so slightly. He was amazed at what he was able to do to Harry just by standing there. In all fairness, Harry had the same effect on him.

Louis pushed Harry back a little so his hair was wet by the spray of water and smiled up at his alpha as intense green eyes met blue. When Harry’s hair was thoroughly wet, Louis reached for the soap and built up a lather in his hands before reaching up to massage the suds into Harry’s hair.

A smile played at the corners of Harry’s lips as Louis worked the soap into his scalp in small slow circles, his eyes shut as a happy growl reverberated in his chest and made Louis giggle. It was amusing how much Harry acted like a cat at times.

Harry took the soap next, once his hair was rinsed, and returned the favor by washing his omega off. He rubbed slow circles and his nails scratched gently at Louis’ scalp in a soothing manner that had Louis smiling lazily with his head tilted towards Harry.

The alpha slowly rubbed soap over Louis’ shoulders and down his chest, ensuring all traces of cum or slick were washed off and his skin was left pink and squeaky clean.

When his hands dipped down to wash between Louis’ thighs, the omega bit his lip and let his lids flutter open to watch Harry. Big, calloused hands slipped between supple thighs and ghosted between his cheeks, leaving trails of soap suds behind.

Louis’ breath caught in his throat as long fingers flickered over his hole, blushing as a smirk spread across Harry’s lips. “Harry,” he breathed out a warning, his heart beating a little faster in his chest.

“What, baby? Just wanna make sure you’re clean,” Harry claimed innocently, massaging the thick flesh of Louis’ left cheek in his hand.

Louis couldn’t help but roll his eyes with a huff. “You’re full of shit,” he scoffed, breath hitching as Harry brought a finger to Louis’ rim and tapped against his hole.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the alpha hummed and lowered himself to his knees, leering up at Louis as he brought his lips to Louis’ thick thighs. He pressed deliberate, slow kisses to the soft flesh.

Louis’ eyes widened as he felt Harry’s curls tickling his thighs. “Harry,” he whispered and threaded his fingers through his hair.

Harry’s eyes flicked up, eyeing the blush that spread over the omega’s cheeks beautifully and the quivering of his thighs beneath his lips. “Turn around, Omega.”

Louis swallowed thickly and did as he was told, whimpering as Harry’s breath fanned across his cheeks. With the first brush of Harry’s tongue against his rim, the omega swallowed thickly and reached out to grasp the built in shelf to keep himself steady.

As Harry’s tongue worked its magic, Louis’ whimpers and moans grew in volume. The slippery slide of his thick tongue working in and out of his hole made Louis weak in the knees as slick gathered on Harry’s tongue.

Having worked Louis up into a whining mess, Harry pulled away and wiped his chin and lips off with the back of his hand. Louis whimpered at the loss of Harry’s tongue, looking over his shoulder with glassy eyes and a pout on his lips. “Alpha,” he complained.

“It’s okay, baby. Hang in there, I’ll make you feel good,” Harry murmured and rose from his knees with a slight wince at the creaking of his joints which was a bit embarrassing. He gripped Louis’ hips and turned him back around to face him, smirking at his pretty boy.

Harry backed Louis up and pressed him against the wall of the shower, grinding his cock against Louis. His hands skated down Louis’ sides to the backs of his thighs before picking him up with ease and pinning him to the wall.

Louis bit his lip and clamped his thighs around Harry’s waist as the alpha kissed at his neck. The harsh hair dusting over Harry’s chin and jaw scratched against the smooth skin of Louis’ own neck, leaving behind pink skin.

Peaches and pine filled the room under the humid steam that billowed from the shower. Harry’s mouth was practically watering at the sweet smell of his mate and the arousal was going straight to his cock.

“Harry, please,” Louis whined and tugged at the wet curls in his hands.

Harry smirked and dug his fingers into the meaty flesh of Louis’ hips. With one hand, he lined himself up and slowly pushed up into his boy. Inch by inch, Harry sank himself into the wet heat of his mate. With every push, his mind clouded over with lust and desire that crept under his skin and lit his senses on fire.

Louis’ mouth dropped open as the thick cock was buried into him, deep and thick in his hole. When Harry was fully seated, Louis let out a long moan as he tightened around him.

After giving Louis a bit of time to adjust, Harry slowly pulled out before thrusting back in again. As he slammed into Louis, he punched a moan right out of him and his legs tightened around the alpha’s waist.

The two moved in an easy rhythm as Harry thrust into Louis and Louis rocked down onto him. They danced around one another like they were made for each other, finding the perfect eb and flow.

As Harry nailed into Louis, the omega felt himself barreling towards his release. Heat was pooling his belly as slick gushed out of him. His arms draped over Harry’s shoulders with his head tilted back against the tile of the shower wall, whimpers falling from his parted pink lips.

By the time Harry was close, Louis was wound tight like a spring with his whole body wrapped around Harry as he clung to his alpha. With each thrust, Louis could tell that Harry’s dominant instincts were taking over as he gripped Louis’ hips and pummeled into him aggressively.

“Baby, fuck. I’m close,” Harry grunted, water splashing off their bodies and flicking off the ends of his hair.

Louis whimpered, scratching his nails over Harry’s shoulders as he grasped for a grip to ground himself. “Knot me, please Alpha,” he pleaded.

Louis’ words seemed to do the trick as Harry growled and buried himself deep into his omega, his knot catching on his rim as it swelled and locked him into place.

As soon as Louis felt Harry swelling inside of him, he came with a shout. His body trembled in Harry’s grasp and he goes slack after being wound so tight. Relief flooded his senses as Harry filled him with cum.

“Good boy. Shit. You’re amazing,” Harry panted. He leaned against Louis, shifting his weight to rely on the wall behind them to keep them both up.

Their chests heaved against one another, the warm air hanging thickly as steam billowed from the shower as the hot water rinsed them both clean of cum and slick.

The boy in Harry’s arms grew sleepy in his post-orgasmic haze. He nuzzled into the crook of Harry’s neck and shoulder, closing his eyes as he reveled in the sensation of being filled and warm in his alpha’s embrace.

Once Harry caught his breath, he held Louis close and shut the shower off carefully. He took great care to ensure his knot didn’t pull uncomfortably as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed towels. Louis wrapped his around his shoulders while Harry carried him into the living room.

Harry laid the towel on the couch before easing himself down onto the couch with Louis straddling his waist to wait out his knot. Their bare chests pressed together as Louis pressed close and cuddled into Harry’s warmth.

“I love you,” Louis whispered, eyes hooded and a loose smile played at the corners of his lips. Being seated on Harry’s knot being pumped full left him feeling love drunk and fuzzy.

Harry’s hands traveled up and down Louis’ back, caressing the soft skin under his fingertips as he nosed at his scent gland. “I love you too, baby.”

Harry sighed a heavy, deep content sigh and rested his head on Louis’ shoulder with his nose and lips still pressed to where Louis’ scent was strongest. He never wanted this feeling to end. He felt so full of love and happiness that his insides felt like they were melting everywhere and he was fairly sure that someday he was going to become nothing more than a puddle of goo from the effect that his boy had on him. In the moment, everything felt right like the stars had aligned.

“You’re doing great, Peaches! Remember to keep your toes pointing up!” Harry called out, easily leading Jackson across the pasture a few feet away from Louis. He kept a watchful eye on the omega and called out a few pointers as they rode at a slow pace.

As Louis adjusted the position of his feet in the stirrups, he smiled at the immediate change in how his body was aligned. With his toes pointed up, he didn’t feel like his body was tipping forward quite so much. 

“Good job. Why don’t you bring her around, have her go around that tree?” Harry suggested and murmured a soft “whoa” to Jackson to bring him to a halt as he watched Louis.

With his bottom lip between his teeth, Louis let Libby walk towards an old oak tree and gently squeezed his left leg against her side just like Harry had taught him. The appaloosa mare rounded the tree at Louis’ command and continued walking towards Harry.

Harry gave a thumbs up, dimples on proud display as Louis rode back over to him with an accomplished grin. “You’re a quick learner,” he hummed.

“Couldn’t have done it without the best teacher I could have asked for,” Louis murmured with a shrug as he leaned forward once Libby came to a stop and stroked her neck. “Thanks for offering to teach me. I figured it was about time I learn how to ride considering I’ve been here for four months.”

Harry nodded. “Now that we know you’re not exactly going anywhere it’s important that you know how to ride. I don’t like to take the Jeep out unless I absolutely need to. It’s a quicker form of transportation but I only have so much fuel stored up. I’ve only had to make one trip to stock up on gas and it’s dangerous making that trip.”

Louis gazed across the pasture, taking in the patches of snow still stubbornly sticking around regardless of the rising temps. He was glad Harry hadn’t taught him earlier how to ride, it was too cold for his body to keep his temperature regulated in the middle of winter. He may have had a high body temperature, but his body had a hard time retaining it which is why he was currently bundled up in a winter coat, hat, mittens, boots, and a scarf while Harry was dressed in a thick suede jacket, jeans, and cowboy boots.

Harry’s eyes didn’t leave Louis’ features. The sun hanging low in the sky illuminated the omega in an angelic glow and his eyes shown even brighter and more blue in the golden light. Despite having seen Louis every day for the past four months, Harry was still taken by Louis’ beauty. He’d never grow tired of watching the omega’s eyelashes flutter or his pink lips purse as he pondered things deeply.

When Louis looked up and caught Harry staring at him, a sweet blush spread over his cheeks. “What?” He asked shyly, fiddling with the reins in his hands.

“I just think you’re beautiful. I’m pretty sure I’m the luckiest alpha in the world,” Harry admitted and urged Jackson closer to Louis and Libby, bringing him to a halt next to the two facing the opposite way. Jackson sidled up next to Libby to that Harry and Louis’ legs were brushing. With a dreamy smile, Harry leaned over and caught Louis’ lips in a kiss.

Louis held on tight to the horn of the western saddle as he leaned over the gap between them to meet Harry halfway, sighing happily against the warm embrace of Harry’s lips. If Harry was the luckiest man in the world, then Louis himself had won the lottery. “Me too. I got the best alpha in the world. It’s a good thing you’re hidden away in the middle of nowhere because I’d have to rip omegas off of you if there were any within a day's ride. You’re mine,” he declared.

With a chuckle, Harry nodded and swept his thumb over Louis’ high cheekbone. “Likewise, honey. Now c’mon, it’s almost time for supper.” He guided Jackson around to face the barn. “You did well today, tomorrow we can focus on trying trotting and maybe we’ll go on a trail ride.”

Louis offered a bright smile and patted Libby’s neck. “Sounds like fun to us,” he chirped and returned to the riding stance Harry had shown him with his back straight, elbows bent and holding the reins with slack, and his weight centered in the saddle. He followed Harry’s form back towards the barn and allowed himself to study the alpha from behind.

As if sensing Louis’ gaze, Harry threw a look over his shoulder with a soft smirk. “Like what you see, princess?” He teased, green eyes flashing playfully.

Louis giggled and shrugged. “I’ve seen better,” he jested and laughed at Harry’s scandalized expression.

“How very dare you! That’s not what you were saying last night or this morning,” Harry pouted and came to a halt once he was in front of the gate.

“You can’t judge me for what I say in the throws of passionate sex,” Louis snickered and brought Libby to a stop beside the fence while the alpha unclipped the chain and swung the gate open.

“Oh sure I can’t,” Harry snorted and closed the gate behind them before helping Louis dismount. If his hand wandered from Louis’ waist to smack his supple ass, then so be it.

Louis landed on the balls of his feet with a soft snicker and led Libby with the reins into the barn to her stall. With Harry’s assistance, he untacked their horses and got to work brushing his mare down. Libby seemed to like the curry comb the most as Louis swept in circular motions to break up the dirt, hair, and sweat that accumulated in her fur.

It always made Louis a little nervous to clean out her hooves for fear that she’d kick him, so he let Harry take care of cleaning the debris from their ride out of her hooves. He watched Harry’s large hand skate down her leg as he made soft noises to her and lifted her hoof from the ground with ease. Harry’s calm and soothing demeanor sent a bubble of fondness in Louis’ chest.

While Harry cleaned out Libby’s hooves, Louis moved over to Jackson to run a wide-tooth comb through his tail. He started at the bottom to remove knots before working his way up to the rest of his tail. He giggled as Jackson flicked his tail, a few stray strands flicking Louis in the face. “Rude,” he teased the stallion and rubbed a gentle hand over his flank. “You’ve gotta work on your manners if you ever want a chance with Miss Libby,” he scolded playfully and glanced over to catch Harry’s wide grin as he listened to the omega’s one-sided conversation with Jackson.

“What can I say, he takes after me,” Harry joked and set Libby’s last hoof down and patted her belly. “We men go a little feral when we’re out in the wilderness for so long. Takes a good omega or mare to tame our wild side,” he mused and fed a treat to the mare before returning to Louis’ side.

“I noticed. It takes a real miracle worker to put up with you two,” Louis laughed, nose scrunching as Jackson tickled the omega’s nose with his snout.

“It sure does,” Harry agreed and wrapped his arms around Louis from behind as they watched Jackson stroll over to Libby’s side and knicker softly at her.

Louis allowed himself to lean back into Harry’s frame and sigh happily. “Do you think they’ll ever have a baby?”

Harry nodded and kissed the exposed mark displayed proudly on Louis’ neck. “I kept them apart for the most part before you got here but with an added set of hands, I think I can handle another horse. It’ll be a few months, most likely. Horses typically breed during late spring and early summer.”

Louis craned his neck to look back at Harry. “How do you know all of this?” He asked curiously. It seemed like Harry had so much knowledge about practically everything, it was honestly amazing how much he knew.

“I worked mounted patrol for a few years in Chicago before they switched me over to a different precinct,” Harry explained and gave Louis a gentle squeeze before tossing the brushes back into the crate that would be stored in the tack room.

“You did? I didn’t know that,” Louis hummed and followed Harry with the saddle blankets in his arms. “Did you have your own horse?”

Harry shook his head and hung the blankets on a hook in the wall. “No, the department assigns you a horse that lives in their stables. You still take care of the horse and clean up after it, but it’s technically not yours. I had a sweet mare assigned to me named Fancy. She was a thoroughbred with a little bit of draft horse in her. She was fucking huge, but she was honestly a gentle giant. I can’t tell you how many times little kids would be nervous around her until she’d tickle their faces with her whiskers.”

Louis smiled softly and leaned against the door of the tack room. “Was it difficult when you were transferred?”

“It was. Even though you don’t technically own the horse you’re assigned with, you grow close with them. You’re responsible for taking care of them and nurturing them and it builds a bond between you. When I got reassigned it was hard to not be able to see her as often. I would still visit every once in a while, but she had a harder time adjusting to her new rider so I eventually had to stop seeing her so she could focus on the new officer assigned to her. I was always jealous of the guys on K-9 unit because their dogs got to live with them. When the dogs retired, their partners got to adopt them and keep them as a family pet. It’s a bit hard to do that with a horse though.”

“That would be hard. It sounds like having a child get ripped away from you and given to someone else,” Louis murmured and slipped his hand into Harry’s as they walked back to the stalls to feed the cows and sheep dinner.

“It was difficult at first, but the horses love their job. Fancy loved to work and it did make it a little easier knowing she still got to do what she loved. When you sign on with mounted patrol, it’s with the understanding that you don’t get to keep the horse and it prepares you in some sense,” Harry admitted.

Louis gave a light nod before crouching down by the twin lambs with their momma. “Hello, my little angels. Staying warm?” He cooed to Poppy and Marigold as he nuzzled their fluffy heads. They bleated softly before running over to their mother to nurse. Louis smiled softly and spread out a fresh bed of hay before slipping back out of the stall to help Harry finish feeding the cows and chickens in the coop out back.

When they returned to the cabin Louis stripped down out of his cold-weather gear and tossed his leggings into the porch by the laundry tub to get washed later. As he walked half-naked through the cabin, he could feel Harry’s eyes trained on him. “Like what you see?” Louis teased, echoing Harry’s earlier statement.

Harry smirked and slapped Louis’ ass as he passed him. “Love what I see,” he corrected and dropped his jeans to the ground before changing into a pair of sweats and a sweater, his previous clothes being covered in dirt and horse hair from their ride.

Louis rolled his eyes with absolutely no malice and pulled on one of Harry’s flannels. He left it buttoned only up to the base of his sternum, leaving the plaid material to fall loosely over his body before stopping just under his bottom to cover his panties.

He could feel Harry’s hungry gaze on him as he slipped on a pair of clean socks and made his way to the kitchen. As he pulled out some of the canned beans and frozen veggies, he hummed to himself an old song that he wasn’t sure where he’d heard it from.

Harry’s eyes skated over smooth legs as he studied his boy flitting around the kitchen. He looked delectable, all soft curves and honey-like skin that practically glowed under the rays of golden hour. A fond smile crept onto his face as he took his seat on the couch and picked up his guitar.

He would have offered to help Louis make dinner in the kitchen, but he had learned a few months ago that Louis hated sharing the kitchen. Whenever Harry would offer to help or try to chip in, Louis would swat at him and chase him from the kitchen, claiming the alpha was distracting him or getting in the way. He didn’t entirely mind, especially because Louis was still willing to let Harry take over cooking every once in a while when he wanted to treat the omega.

As he sat on the couch strumming a few chords on the guitar, he hummed a couple of notes from an old country song by Don Williams. When he sang the first few lines to “I believe in You” he could see the change in Louis’ body language. The gentle crooning of his voice seemed to lull the omega as his actions slowed in the kitchen, taking his time to chop veggies. It was like Harry’s singing calmed the omega and released the tension that he held in his body.

It brought a feeling of accomplishment and peace, to know that his mate reacted to him so strongly. Pride welled up in Harry’s chest and fondness bubbled in his stomach, watching Louis begin to slowly sway in the kitchen.

“Well I don't believe that heaven waits for only those who congregate. I like to think of God as love He's down below, he's up above. He's watching people everywhere, he knows who does and doesn't care. And I'm an ordinary man, sometimes I wonder who I am,” Harry sung softly as his fingers moved across the strings with practiced ease. “But I believe in love, I believe in music, I believe in magic. And I believe in you.”

Louis hummed along to Harry’s song with hooded eyes as he danced in the kitchen while preparing dinner. The deep and steady melody emptied his mind and lit a slow fire in his veins that had his body practically moving on its own. He couldn’t help but sway to the music of Harry’s skilled fingers dancing across the strings of his guitar and his alpha’s low voice.

When the song came to an end, Harry strummed a different song but didn’t sing this time. He was content to relax into the couch and watch his omega dance in the kitchen to the simple notes of an old Rolling Stones song that he barely remembered. The notes filled the cabin, mirroring the way a warm and sweet feeling filled Harry’s heart to the brim.

It didn’t take long that night for Louis and Harry to drift off, tangled in one another under the warm sheets of their bed. The sound of Harry’s heart beating as Louis pressed his cheek to the firm muscle of his chest had Louis’ eyes growing heavy as he was pulled under, into unconsciousness.

Their gentle slumber didn’t last long. It was hardly four hours later when Louis woke to their whole bed trembling. Still drowsy from sleep, Louis cracked one eye open and furrowed his brows in confusion at the source of the shaking. When a gasp rung out, Louis’ other eye shot open as he looked across the bed. His vision was still a bit blurry, but he could make out the sweating form of Harry’s body at the edge of the bed. “Harry?” Louis whispered, wincing at the ache in his mark where he could feel Harry’s distress through their bond.

Upon receiving no reply Louis frowned and climbed out of bed, stumbling over his own feet as he padded around to Harry’s side of the bed under the dim glow of the crescent moon that filtered through the skylight. “H?” Louis whispered again, worry gnawing at his stomach as his teeth bit into his lip.

He could see the tension of Harry’s muscles as the alpha’s whole body was clenching and trembling uncontrollably. A whimper escaped his lips as he crouched in front of Harry and hesitantly reached out to rest his cold hand against Harry’s cheek. The shock of cold skin seemed to shock Harry from his dream as he lurched forward.

Louis flinched as Harry’s body shot forward, causing the alpha to fall to the hard floor with a loud thump. His eyes flew open but he didn’t look present. Louis held back a sniffle, the pain in his chest growing as he took in Harry’s panicked state with wild eyes that weren’t fully there and pupils blown wide.

“It’s me, H. Alpha, it’s me. It’s okay,” Louis whimpered and reached out to comb his trembling fingers through the sweaty curls at Harry’s hairline. Harry’s hand shot out to grip Louis’ knee as his mouth opened and closed like he was trying to get words out.

“Shhh, it’s alright,” the omega whispered, wiping at the tear that had slipped out. He shuffled around the floor until he was laid on his side next to Harry, facing him as he cradled Harry’s cheek in his soft palm. With light touches, he stroked his thumb under Harry’s eye.

The alpha’s eyes squeezed shut tightly like he was trying to ward off the thoughts that were plaguing his mind. With short labored breaths, he gasped for air. The cool touch of Louis’ hand was only doing so much to try to ground him.

Louis bit his lip, thinking back to a month or two ago when Harry had his last panic attack. From what he remembered, his scent had helped Harry calm down so he edged closer. Ignoring the discomfort of laying on the hard ground, he gently guided Harry to his scent gland and held him there.

It took a few more minutes before his scent seemed to penetrate the thick fogginess in Harry’s brain from what Louis had assumed was a bad dream. When Harry finally started intentionally sniffing against Louis’ scent gland, Louis sighed in relief. He hated to see Harry in such a terrible state and it drove his omega instincts into overdrive with his desire to care for Harry and nurture him.

“You’re alright, Alpha. We’re both okay and alive,” the omega murmured into Harry’s hair as he cradled the sweaty curls in his hand and let sweet peaches waft from his body to help calm him down. “Breathe for me. In for five out for ten,” he reminded and did the breathing exercises with Harry as the alpha wrapped his arms around Louis and clutched him tightly to his chest.

It was almost painful, how hard Harry was holding onto him but Louis knew his mate needed to feel his body against his to know that he was safe so he didn’t complain. He wanted to help Harry into the bed to continue to help him, but he was unsure if Harry would be able to even walk yet. His body was still coiled tight and his muscles were hard from the tension of clenching them so tightly.

As they worked through the exercises to help Harry’s heartbeat and breathing return to normal, Louis could feel the muscles loosening gradually with each pass of Louis’ hand through his hair. “Harry honey, can you stand?” Louis asked, voice barely above a whisper.

It took a few seconds before Harry nodded shakily, his grip tightening around Louis’ waist. Louis pressed a warm kiss to Harry’s forehead before untangling himself from Harry’s arms and guiding him back onto the bed. He was immediately pulled onto the bed beside Harry once the alpha was laid down, a protective hand holding onto his hand tightly as Harry’s panicked eyes flew across Louis’ face.

“I’m safe, Alpha. We’re not hurt and we’re safe in our home. It’s okay,” Louis promised and rested his hand over Harry’s beating heart. “Alpha, why don’t you bite me?” He suggested, thinking that maybe opening their fresh mark might bring Harry back to reality and help him realize that Louis was just fine and that they weren’t in any danger.

With a gentle hand on the back of Harr’s neck, Louis pulled Harry on top of him and tilted his neck to give Harry better access. Warm, labored breath fanned over his skin as Harry’s lips found his neck. Soft lips mouthed at his neck before Harry’s teeth were biting into the bond mark he had left on the boy.

As Louis’ skin broke, the omega whimpered uncomfortably at first from the pain before the sharp stinging gave way to a humming sensation that reverberated through his body. He could feel the moment that their bond took its effect on Harry as the heavy body of his alpha weighed down on him. His muscles uncoiled and the trembling stilled as Harry’s eyes fluttered shut.

Louis brushed his fingers over the mark on Harry’s neck and used his other hand to drag his fingers up and down his back. It took a few minutes before Harry was finally able to pull back and lick over the wound to help it heal. Louis offered a small smile as he saw the life return to Harry’s green eyes that were glued to his face. “Hello, Alpha. Welcome back.”

Harry mumbled an apology, shifting his weight to not be on top of Louis. Shame flooded his mind and guilt ate away at him for worrying his mate and forcing his problems on him.

“Hey, none of that. You don’t apologize for that. I want to be here for you,” Louis murmured and pressed kisses to the worry lines in Harry’s forehead. “We’re mates now. I’m going to be by your side through sickness and health. That includes mental health.”

Harry sighed and nodded reluctantly, tucking his face against the soft skin of Louis’ neck. “Thank you,” he croaked.

“I love you, Harry. You’re the best alpha I could have asked for. You keep us both so safe and you’re such a good mate,” Louis reminded and brought the comforter up around them. Warmth cloaked them both as they shared body heat beneath the covers.

Harry’s only response was a tightening of his grip around Louis’ waist as he clung to the one being that reminded him that everything was alright. The whispers of a smile toyed at his lips as his boy leaned in and rubbed their scent glands together to scent his alpha and wash over him with peaches and sugar.

The alpha allowed his omega to turn him over onto his side, grateful for his loving heart as Louis spooned him from behind and wrapped his arms tightly around Harry. The soothing murmur of Louis’ voice calmed Harry’s anxiety and relieved him of any remaining tension until he was left feeling empty. Exhaustion finally hit him as he took a deep breath and hugged a pillow to his chest. Soft whispers of sweet words and promises lulled Harry back to sleep in the arms of his boy as he finally slipped back into a dreamless sleep at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not too sure how I feel about this chapter but I hope it's okay?


	11. Chapter 11

Time passes in a steady crawl with days spent lazily lying in bed, leisurely trail rides on the horses and a mix of soft touches and sweet smiles. Before Louis really realizes it’s happening, the heat of late spring and early summer is creeping its way north as flowers blossom and bloom and the birds return.

Louis is pretty sure that they’re now in the month of June, but he can’t be sure with no calendar to keep track of the days that come and go. A few weeks ago he’d packed up all of their heavy winter clothes and the furnace in the living room was no longer in use. Wildflowers were now displayed in vases around their home, filling the air with their sweet floral scent and brightening up the corners of their little cabin with a little bit of sunshine.

As the days grew longer, so did Harry’s hair. It was just past his chin now and Louis loved to tease him whenever he caught the alpha huffing in frustration as it fell in his face or got in his way while he was trying to work. Harry had taken to wearing hats constantly just to try to keep it out of his face, but he was growing tired of always battling his crazy curls that turned frizzy in the heat.

He’d finally asked Louis yesterday if he would be willing to help him out by giving him a trim and Louis had hesitantly agreed as long as Harry returned the favor and gave Louis a trim as well. They’d both be grateful for their shorter hair once summer was in full swing, as it would be too warm to have a long hair sticking to the sweat on the backs of their necks come August.

Louis tilted his head back as the sun shone down on him, warming his cheeks as the golden rays played across his skin through the rustling leaves of the tree they were sitting under. Louis could hear their horses running through the meadow in the pasture and the chickens were clucking as they strut around the yard surrounding the cabin.

“Are you gonna cut my hair or just stand there looking like an absolute dream?” Harry asked from where he was seated on a log stool beneath the tree.

Louis giggled and shook his head fondly, taking a few more moments to soak in the rays of the sun before he turned back to this alpha. “So bossy,” he snickered and draped an old sheet around Harry’s shoulders to catch the hair as it fell.

Harry snorted and shrugged his broad shoulders as Louis stood behind him and began to comb through his hair. “We’re losing daylight here, Peaches. I just don’t want you trying to whack off my hair in the dark,” he laughed and tilted his head back when Louis nudged him to.

“Couldn’t look any worse than it does right now.” Louis pinched the back of Harry’s neck playfully before returning his motions of combing through the unruly curls on top of Harry’s head. The longer hair really didn’t look that bad, it made Harry look like a cool rockstar but he also knew that the alpha was more comfortable with his shorter hair. In all honesty, Louis would be head over heels in love with him even if Harry had a mullet and would always think his alpha was the sexiest thing alive.

With pursed lips Louis carefully began to trim the hairs at the back of Harry’s head, aiming to get the hang of it on the back of Harry’s head just in case he made a mistake so it wasn’t as noticeable. Louis pinched the wet strands between his index and middle finger just like he’d seen hairstylists do a few years ago before making his first few snips. As he worked, Harry filled him in on the progress he was making on the structure that would eventually be used to cover the crops that needed less sunlight. From the sound of it, Harry had most of the framing done but he needed to find some sheet metal at some point to finish off the roof.

Louis had taken up gardening in the last few weeks, eager to learn from Harry as the alpha showed him how to sow the seeds and taught him what each kind of vegetable, fruit, or squash needed to thrive. Louis was most excited about his strawberries. It had been years since he had been able to enjoy his favorite berries and he’d never been able to taste farm-fresh ones either. Harry had assured him that once you’d had ripe strawberries from your own strawberry patch, there was no going back. And if Louis couldn’t help but imagine Harry licking strawberry juice out of his belly button as his tummy gets sticky from the sweet fruit, then so be it.

“Hello?” A voice pulled Louis from his daydream.

Louis shook the thoughts out of his head as he refocused his attention on the alpha. “Yeah?” He hummed and brushed loose hairs off the back of Harry’s neck.

Harry chuckled and reached back to squeeze Louis’ knee. “You didn’t answer my question.”

With a blush, Louis cleared his throat and nodded. “Sorry, dear. What did you ask me again?”

“I asked if you wanted to go scavenging with me tomorrow. I was hoping to look for some more seeds and maybe pick up some more clothes and yarn,” Harry repeated his earlier statement that Louis had missed.

“Oh. Yeah, it’d be nice to get out for a bit. Are we taking Libby and Jackson?” Louis asked and moved to stand by Harry’s side as he worked on the left side of Harry’s head.

Harry nodded, receiving an annoyed scowl and a huff from Louis as he almost snipped off too much hair. “Sorry, baby,” he chuckled and stilled himself once more. “I was thinking we’d travel a little further, so it might turn into an all-day trip with the horses. I think I’ve cleared out anything worth taking from Churchill.”

Louis hummed and brushed a few hairs off Harry’s ear. “Okay. Could be fun exploring someplace new,” he chirped cheerfully, though he didn’t miss the tension that seemed to be settled between Harry’s shoulders at the idea of going to town again.

“Yeah, it could,” Harry murmured and let out a low sigh as he closed his eyes. He smiled when he felt warm petal-soft lips press against the skin behind his ear. “Never got that kind of treatment last time I got a haircut.”

“Shut up,” Louis giggled and tugged on Harry’s earlobe.

When all but the front section of Harry’s hair was trimmed, Louis moved to stand in front the alpha. He stuck his tongue out in concentration, his brows furrowed as he worked to carefully trim the long curls. The rest of his head was looking pretty good so far. Luckily, Harry’s curls were messy enough that even if certain sections weren’t perfect you couldn’t really tell.

Hands found their way to Louis’ hips as he snipped a few more locks of hair. “Harry,” Louis warned as his large hands crept up Louis’ hips to his waist. “Don’t you dare make me mess up.”

Harry grinned and caressed the curves in front of him. “What, baby?” He hummed teasingly with a playful wink. “I’m not gonna make you mess up. I would never.”

With the way Harry’s eyes sparkled with mischief, Louis knew better than to trust him. The omega narrowed his eyes and set down the scissors to grab Harry’s wrists and force them back into his lap. “Don’t you dare.”

Harry chuckled and held up his hands innocently. He let Louis make a few more cuts before creeping his hands up under the hem of his sundress. Fingertips teased at the sensitive flesh of Louis’ thighs.

“Harold, I swear to God. I will shave your head if you keep distracting me,” Louis huffed, unable to keep the whine out of his tone. When Harry’s hands only slid upwards, completely bypassing his panties his brows furrowed in confusion.

A smirk tugged at his lips as the alpha caught Louis off-guard when he suddenly dug his fingers into Louis’ sides and pulled a yelp from the adorable omega. Harry grinned as Louis’ writhed in his arms, a peal of giggles falling from his lips as his alpha tickled his sides and tummy.

Louis squealed as one of Harry’s hands gripped his ass and the other tickled his sides mercilessly. “Harry!” He squeaked and smacked the alpha’s shoulder as he tried to escape his grip. “Let me go!”

“Louis,” Harry countered, pulling Louis into his lap and scratching his scruff against the omega’s neck to tickle him there too. His heart beat a little faster in his chest as his mate squirmed in his lap and tried to hold back a breathless smile. He was so fucking lucky to have Louis all to himself. The boy was his entire life and he loved him more than he had ever thought was possible.

When Louis pinched Harry’s bond mark, Harry chuckled and pressed a quick kiss to his parted lips before withdrawing his hands again. “Think you missed a spot,” he motioned with a tug to a long curl that still lay on his forehead.

“Fancy that,” Louis snickered and flicked the dimple that showed itself, his own cheeks still pink and his chest rising and falling a little faster as he panted. “You’re the worst, you know.”

Harry shrugged, eyeing the way Louis cocked his hip and snipped the long curl on Harry’s forehead. “I know. But somehow I still found an omega who loves me anyway.”

Louis’ eyes rolled playfully but Harry could tell there was a shy smile threatening to appear. His boy was adorable and sweet, like a cupcake. A cupcake that Harry would very much like to eat out and bury his knot in. Not wanting to risk getting a choppy haircut that Louis made purposefully bad, Harry would let Louis finish his work. Then he would jump him.

When Harry could tell Louis was finishing up on his haircut, Harry lifted his hands to settle on his favorite place to hold Louis. He simply popped his dimple when Louis’ eyebrow quirked suspiciously and squeezed his hands.

Louis ran his fingers through Harry’s hair, pursing his lips as he checked the length. With a final snip of his scissors, he smiled cheerfully and patted the top of Harry’s head. “All done.”

The words were barely out of Louis’ mouth before Harry was tugging the boy into his lap and digging his fingers into the sensitive flesh of his sides and backs of his knees. Laughter erupted from the petite omega as Harry’s fingers flitted across his skin to find his most ticklish spots.

Louis gasped breathlessly as his alpha attacked him with sneaky fingers, laughter getting caught in his throat. As Harry’s hands slipped under his dress and the sheet that was slung over Harry’s shoulders to catch falling hair slid down his back to reveal his muscled body, Louis could feel a familiar pull in his tummy.

Upon sensing the change in mood within his boy, Harry looked up into Louis’ clear blue eyes that were filled with mirth with a hint of seduction. The boy’s thighs tightened around the alpha, his eyelashes fluttering softly as he slowly leaned in.

Their lips met in a slow and gentle push and pull. The boy sighed happily in his mate’s embrace as his arms draped over Harry’s shoulders. Small fingers carded in his curls when the kiss deepened and he swept his tongue over Harry’s full bottom lip.

When Louis felt Harry’s hands slip under the thin material of his silk purple panties, the omega disconnected their lips and leaned in to whisper against the shell of Harry’s ear. “What do you think, hot stuff? You gonna fill me up with your cock and knot me good?”

Harry’s grip tightened as he hauled Louis to his feet and hoisted him into his arms. The omega giggled as Harry bolted towards the cabin to eagerly get them into bed.

When Louis woke the next morning, he yawned sleepily and arched his back to stretch his sore muscles from the sex marathon of the afternoon before. His gaze fell on the alpha sprawled across the mattress who snored into the pillow his head was resting on. The omega scooted closer to Harry, a small whine escaping as he nuzzled into the warmth of Harry’s chest.

Fluffy chestnut hair tickled the alpha’s nose, causing it to wrinkle. With a grunt, Harry draped his arm over the naked omega in his bed and mumbled something in his sleep.

Louis couldn’t help but snicker quietly, trailing his fingers up and down the muscled arm over him. He waited for a few minutes before sighing and lifting Harry’s arm to set it back down on the mattress next to him. He eased himself out of bed and padded towards the bathroom.

He let the shower warm up while he relieved himself before climbing into the shower under the steaming spray. He wished he had time for a bath, but unfortunately, he needed to keep things brief this morning. They needed to leave right after taking care of the animals and Louis still had to make them breakfast and get Harry out of bed.

It was the kind of thing that most might find mundane, but Louis honestly loved that he was able to take care of Harry. He’d lost hope a few months ago before Harry had found him. He’d been convinced that he would either die out there exposed to the elements, or some lone alpha would find him and use him until there was nothing left for him to give. He was blessed to have been given another chance.

He didn’t care what he was doing, just as long as he had Harry by his side. He could be stranded out here for the rest of their lives and he would be overjoyed.

When he finished up in the shower, he wrapped himself in a towel and snuck into their room to find Harry drowsily rubbing his eyes as the sheets pooled around his waist.

“Good morning, my handsome Alpha,” Louis murmured as he stepped over to the dresser, dropping his towel on the floor before plucking a pair of comfortable black cotton panties from his drawer. “You should probably hop in the shower. We’ll need to leave soon. I’ll work on breakfast while you clean up and then we can head out after we stop at the barn.”

Harry whined and flopped onto his front, lazily watching Louis bend over to slide his panties up his legs. “You’re so sexy,” he mumbled and pouted as Louis pulled on a pair of leggings and cut off his view of his soft tan skin.

“Thanks. Come on, up and at ‘em. We’ve got a big day of looting and stealing ahead of us,” Louis mused with a wink and yanked a flannel on over his head. He skipped over to the bed and pressed a chaste kiss to Harry’s cheek.

“Nooo, come back and cuddle with me,” Harry whined as he grasped for Louis’ hand.

“Sorry, my love. No can do. We need to get a move on,” Louis reminded and brushed their noses together affectionately before he stepped away from the bed, knowing that if Harry continued to beg he would give in and they would most likely spend another three hours in bed.

Louis could hear Harry’s complaints as he made his way to the kitchen and set the kettle on the stovetop to make himself some tea and Harry a cup of coffee.

By the time he was whipping up some eggs to make them both omelets, he could tell that Harry had finally gotten out of bed and was just getting into the shower.

Harry used to be more of a morning person when Louis first arrived in the cabin, but as they had grown closer and begun sharing a bed, Louis had noticed that Harry never wanted to leave the warm comfort of their nest. It was sweet, knowing that Harry just wanted to spend even more time cuddled up with him and it warmed Louis’ heart to know that Harry cared so deeply for him.

Butter sizzled in the cast iron skillet on the stove, filling the room with the mouth-watering aroma of browned butter. Louis tilted the pan, coating the full pan before he poured the whipped eggs and milk in a thin layer. He knew Harry would need a heartier breakfast, so he made sure to add plenty of meat, mushrooms, and veggies to fill the alpha up.

Louis also made sure to pack some homemade venison jerky, granola, and chopped veggies for them both to snack on throughout the day. There was no telling how long they would actually be on the trail, and he didn’t want to risk them both getting hungry when they were in the middle of nowhere.

As Louis turned the first omelet onto a plate, he heard the shower turn off and the soft sounds of humming coming from just down the hall. When he finally poured the rest of the eggs into the pan, a tall frame stood behind him. “Much better. You smell fresh,” Louis noted and patted the thick arm that wrapped around him from behind.

“You sayin’ I smelled bad before?” Harry asked and pressed a kiss to the omega’s temple before retreating to the table to eat his breakfast.

“I would never, my love,” Louis snickered and poured boiling water over his teabag. He set the mug of fresh coffee in front of Harry and ruffled his wet curls, receiving a pout and a playful glare from his mate.

After checking on the animals in the barn and ensuring they were all properly fed, Louis and Harry tacked up their horses and set out east. Louis had never ridden in this direction with Harry, and he was excited to get to explore more of the area around them. When he was lost in the woods all those months ago, he’d been so turned around and upside down that he wasn’t even sure at this point where he had and hadn’t been.

From the sounds of it, Harry had only traveled to Falcon’s Cove once. It was a little intimidating to them both, not knowing what they were walking into, but Louis was confident that everything would be alright. He knew that Harry would protect him and if it came down to it, he could defend himself with the handgun that Harry had taught him to shoot a few weeks ago.

Louis sighed happily as warm sun peeked through the treetops, filtering through leaves and branches before finally warming his skin in its soft glow. He allowed himself a few moments to close his eyes and soak in the sounds of nature around them and the scent of spring that hung in the air.

When he opened his eyes, they fell on Harry who was studying the compass and small map that he had drawn up. Harry looked pretty good with his new haircut, though Louis could see from this distance one curl that was a little longer than the rest. He’d have to fix that when they returned home.

Louis was fairly sure that they were traveling east, though he couldn’t be certain. He had never been the best with navigation so he left that up to Harry. The surrounding woods were similar to those that lay west of their home towards Churchill. If anything, Louis noticed that it was slightly less rocky in this direction. Harry had once told him that there was a mountain range west of their cabin but Louis had never been far enough west to see them. He hoped that someday they would ride out to explore them, Louis had always wanted to see mountains.

“Is there anywhere you wish you could travel?” Louis asked, looking over at Harry next to him.

Harry glanced up from the map that was spread over the horn of his western saddle and hummed. “Umm. I dunno. I don’t have many dreams of truly traveling anymore. It’s safer to stay where we are and as much as it’d be nice to get to see more of the world, our safety outweighs any desire to travel.”

Louis couldn’t help the slight frown that tugged on the corners of his lips. “I guess. But what about before everything happened? Was there anywhere you really wanted to see?”

“I guess I always wanted to see the tropics. I’ve never been out of the country, other than here to Canada. I lived my childhood in Georgia before moving to Michigan and that’s about it. I didn’t have the funds to explore the world though,” Harry explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Tropics, huh?” Louis grinned playfully and squinted his eyes as he studied Harry. “I think I could picture you laying on the beach in a Hawaiian shirt drinking out of a coconut. Suits you,” he giggled and looked down at his mare.

Harry snorted out a laugh and shook his head, smacking Louis’ thigh lightly with the long leather reins in his hand. “What about you? Anywhere you wished you could travel?”

Louis pursed his lips in thought, fingers gently combing through Libby’s mane. “I got to travel a little bit when I was in high school. My mom took me and my sisters across the states on a road trip and then we took a trip to Mexico once. But I always dreamed of traveling to Europe and seeing the architecture and the history there. I wish I could have seen Paris once and I would’ve really liked to explore Greece or Italy or something.”

Harry nodded and led them down the steeper embankment of the hill, shifting his body weight back so he didn’t tumble over the front of Jackson or cause his horse to stumble. “Yeah. I always wanted to see Washington D.C. I loved history and I think it would have been really cool to spend a few weeks visiting the museums. Couldn’t give a shit about the White House or whatever, but I wished I could have been able to visit the Native American museum there. Would’ve been cool to get to honor Zac in some way.”

“Do you feel called to Native American culture?” Louis asked curiously.

“In some ways. I have a deep respect for the Indigenous people and their culture. It’s rich with stories and incredible respect for nature and having a relationship with the land. I think in some ways I can identify with their customs because I grew up being so close to Zac and his dad but I also know that they’ve suffered so much marginalization and they’ve been completely fucked over by the government and the majority of white people. As much as I appreciate and respect their culture, I’ve never tried to claim it as my own. I’ve not had to endure the torture that many Indigenous people had to experience.”

Louis’ head nodded slowly as he weighed the knowledge in his mind. “I don’t think I know that much about what happened to them. I’m aware of the Trail of Tears and stuff, but I never really learned more than the basics.”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, most people don’t. I think the only reason I know as much as I do is because of Zac and David. David’s own father was sent to a Native American boarding school where they beat his culture out of him and gave him a white name. They weren’t allowed to speak their native language or practice their spiritual beliefs at all. If they spoke their native language, they were beaten.”

Louis’ stomach twists uncomfortably with the information, frowning as he nipped at his bottom lip. “That’s horrible,” he said softly.

“Yeah. I only hope that maybe the government fell to shit when things changed and maybe they were able to find wholeness again,” Harry sighed and glanced over at his boy. “I hope for redemption for the Indigenous people. For David.”

Louis fell silent as he nodded. He’d been privileged enough to not face most of what Harry had to face. He’d been in a community of other privileged individuals and while he knew that other people didn’t get the same freedoms that he did, he didn’t know to what extent. “I’m kind of glad that everything fell apart. Maybe it’s an opportunity to start over and learn from our mistakes.”

“I hope so,” Harry murmured with a nod.

“Do you think someday we’ll ever be part of a community?” Louis asked softly. The possibility of running into other people seemed to always put Harry on edge and he knew that the alpha would be content to live the rest of their lives just the two of them in the cabin, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there was more in store for them both. If maybe they’d find a community that was good and full of nice people with whom they could grow as they started the world over again.

Harry bristled at the idea. “I’m not sure. If we do, I don’t see it being for a long while. I’d prefer if we could live in solitude for the rest of our lives, but I know that at some point it might be advantageous for us to find a community. Resources could run scarce and we may not be able to stay where we are forever.” He paused for a few moments. “Do you want to find one?”

Louis shrugged. “Maybe someday. I’m happy where we are and the way things are, but maybe in ten or fifteen years it would be necessary to find another community and be a part of rebuilding the world.”

“You’ll tell me if you’re unhappy, right? I never want you to feel trapped where we are. I don’t like the idea of putting you at risk, but if your heart truly desires a community I’ll be there to support you and find us a home,” Harry murmured and stretched his leg to bump his foot against Louis’.

“Of course, Alpha. I know you’ll do what’s best for both of us. I promise I’ll tell you if I ever want something different,” Louis agreed with a small smile. “But for now, I’m more than happy to stay hidden away in our little nest away from the rest of the world.”

Louis’ words calmed the bubbling unease in Harry’s chest. The alpha truly didn’t want Louis to feel trapped or stuck, but he was also certain that it was better for them both if they remained hidden for now. Maybe someday it wouldn’t be necessary, but for now, it was.

Silence settled over them both once more as the pines around them slowly gave way to Tamarack and brush. The ground beneath them was softer than it was miles back and the air smelled different. A wetter smell hung heavily around them and the hooves of their horses made squelching noises as they walked through the muck.

“Must be getting close to the marshes,” Harry mused and studied his map again. They were just about halfway to Falcon’s Cove and if Harry had to guess, he would say they’d been riding for nearly four hours already. Maybe three and a half. With Falcon’s Cove being so much further from home that Churchill was, he wanted to make sure they took as much as they could from the town, so he planned on not only packing the saddlebags full but also securing the sheet metal and pipes or branches to form a travois to carry more supplies.

Louis glanced around them, taking in the grassy bushes that reached up to Libby’s belly and brushed against his own boots. The earth looked like clay and he could hear the buzzing of mosquitoes and the humming of cicadas. “How much further then?”

“I think maybe four more hours?” Harry guessed and steered them around a large pond that lay in their path.

Louis couldn’t help the pout that crossed his lips. He truly did love going on trail rides with Harry and exploring the woods around them, but he was honestly growing a little bored. There was only so much to keep one entertained on the back of a horse for hours on end. He let out a soft sigh and slouched a bit in his saddle.

As they rode around the muddy pond with fog that hovered thick over the warm wet earth, Louis’ gaze trailed over the tall grass that shot up in shoots around the boggy ground. A grove of trees stood a few feet from the pond, a few cracked in half with the tops of the trees laying on the ground.

From Louis’ position atop Libby, he could make out a shape under the crook that was formed where the trees were cracked in half. He glanced over at Harry, who was still examining the compass in his hand. Louis squinted his eyes, curiosity getting the better of him as he shifted his weight and nudged his foot against Libby’s side to steer her in the direction of the trees.

The ground grew softer under Libby’s hooves and Louis could tell her hooves were sticking in the mud. Harry looked over his shoulder and murmured a soft ‘whoa’ to Jackson as the horse slowed to a stop. He watched as Louis brought the mare to the grove of trees and slid from her back.

His boots sunk into the mud with a squelch and his button nose wrinkled at the sensation. Louis pulled his boots from the muck and slopped his way over to the bent trees. His arched brows furrowed as he held back the reeds with a small hand. A gasp tumbled from his lips as his eyes widened. “Harry!”

Harry’s body went rigid with the distress that filled Louis’ voice. He swung his leg over Jackson’s back and jumped to the ground, running over to his mate as soon as his boots hit the muddy ground. His hand flew to his holster and rested on the stock of his pistol, ready to defend his mate should whatever Louis found be a threat.

Harry drew his firearm as he came to a halt next to Louis’ crouched form. His gaze fell on the limp form of a wolf laying on its side. With a relieved sigh, he holstered his weapon and dropped his hand to rest on Louis’ shoulder.

Louis’ eyes drooped sadly as he looked upon the sad form of the defeated wolf hidden among the fallen trees. “Poor thing,” he whispered, an ache settling in his gut as his sensitive heart squeezed painfully at the misfortune the animal must have faced. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and let the reeds fall back into place.

Louis’ head ducked as he straightened up, hand going to his cheek to wipe the single tear that gathered in his lashes. He cleared his throat and turned back to his horse, regret filling him for stopping in the first place. Harry followed his mate back towards their horses. He wished Louis didn’t have to face death, but it was commonplace here in the wilderness. As much as it pained him to see Louis look so heartbroken, he also knew that at some point Louis would see worse.

Louis fit his boot in the stirrup, sniffling wetly as he tried to keep himself together. He was hoisting himself up when he paused, a frown pulling at his lips.

“Lou?” Harry questioned, coming up behind Louis with a hand on his lower back.

“Shh,” Louis hissed, closing his eyes as he focused on listening for noises.

There it was again. A soft whimper so quiet Louis almost missed it altogether. He pulled his boot from the stirrup and turned, pushing Harry out of the way as he trudged through the mud in his own footsteps.

“What?” Harry frowned and reached out for Louis’ hand, only for the omega to shake out of his grip.

“Do you hear that?” Louis asked, clear blue eyes focusing on the grove of trees. His mate frowned behind him and followed the boy hesitantly as they wandered closer.

When Louis pushed the tall grass to the side, he let out another gasp, this time one in pleasant surprise. Harry craned his neck to see over Louis’ shoulder where he was crouched. A small pup cowered in fear next to the wolf’s form, nosing along its belly like it was searching for milk.

“Harry, look!” Louis breathed, holding his hand out to the small grey pup in front of him.

“Careful, Louis! It might bite,” Harry warned and grabbed Louis’ shoulder to pull him back when the little thing padded over to Louis and licked his finger.

“Oh, yeah. So terrifying. Look at the fangs on that thing,” Louis said flatly, smirking in triumph as the small pup butted its head against his outstretched hand. He could hear his alpha sigh in defeat behind him as the omega drew the puppy closer. “That must be her mother,” he mused softly and lured the small pup away from the pile of fur that used to be its mother.

Louis let the reeds fall back into place as he scooped up the little ball of fluff into his arms. “Come, little one. We have a warm, dry cabin just waiting for little puppy paws to run around in it.”

Harry frowned and stopped Louis with a hand on his arm. “Louis, we can’t take it home.”

Louis raised a brow and frowned as he looked down at the dog in his arms. “Why on earth not?”

“Babe, that’s a wolf pup. We are not taking a wolf home with us,” Harry said firmly, crossing his arms across his chest in dominance. “It’s probably dangerous.”

With a glare, Louis cocked his hip and held the wiggling pup closer to his chest. “Yes, we are. She’s just a baby, it’s not like she’s all that dangerous. She’s young, we’ll tame her as she grows up,” he hummed and scratched behind her ears.

“She’s more trouble than she’s worth. We don’t need another animal to feed and what happens if she goes after the chickens or the cows? She’s born to hunt, she’ll be a terror around the farm,” Harry pointed out, standing firm in his resolve to not take her home with them.

“Harry, she’s just a baby. We can’t just leave her out here to die. I am not leaving her here,” Louis insisted stubbornly with a hand on his hip.

“Peaches, please-“ Harry started, only to be cut off by his mate.

“Do not ‘Peaches’ me. We are taking her home. She’s family now,” Louis decided with a defiant nod.

Harry groaned, knowing there was no way he would be able to change Louis’ mind once the boy had it set on something. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “But you’re taking care of her. Feeding her, exercising her, and picking up her shit when she makes a mess in the house.”

Louis grinned and nuzzled his nose into the pup’s soft fur. “Yay! Come on, baby girl. Let’s go ride a horsey,” he cooed to the little wolf. “When you grow big and strong, you’re going to be the best guard dog, aren’t you?”

Harry had to admit, Louis did make a good point. Should it ever come down to it, having a wolf on the property would definitely serve as a deterrent to any predators and she could possibly be trained to protect them from any strangers that could wander into their land.

Louis propped the pup up on one hip and reached up to grab the horn of the saddle with his free hand, carefully pulling himself up on to the saddle. The pup squirmed in his arms as he held her to his chest and got them situated. He could tell his alpha was a bit annoyed at not being listened to, but Harry was strong enough to know that it wasn’t a challenge to his masculinity or his ability to be a good alpha.

With a soft smirk on his lips, Louis watched as Harry shook his head and mounted Jackson with ease. “Onwards?” Louis asked with an innocent hum. Harry rolled his eyes with no real malice and urged his stallion forward with a click of his tongue.

When they finally arrived at Falcon’s Cove, Louis glanced over at his alpha to see his back as straight as a pole, his entire body going rigid. His green eyes were darting across the abandoned buildings from where they were stopped at the edge of the trees looking over the town.

From this distance, Louis couldn’t see much but he could tell that the buildings were run down and long grass shot up from the dirt surrounding them. Silence hung heavily, like a wet cloak that weighed heavily down on the ghost town. Though Louis wished he could go with Harry to explore, he knew that the alpha would probably find someplace safe for Louis to hide with the new addition to their scouting party. He longed to explore, but he knew his safety came first.

Harry dismounted and took the reins in his hand, leading Jackson to a tree to tie him up so he could scout out a hiding spot for his omega. Someplace secure with windows and doors locked tight to protect his boy from any other alphas or betas that could be in the area. With skilled silence, Harry crept towards the town, leaving Louis to watch over the horses with a handgun loaded and ready.

A sigh fell from Louis’ lips as he watched Harry’s retreating back disappear behind a building. “He’s a bit overly protective, but you get used to it,” Louis murmured to the wolf pup in his arms. The puppy had grown sleepy over the last few hours nestled into the omega’s own warmth and now had her nose tucked into the sleeve of Louis’ flannel and her tail curled around her body into a tight ball. “Guess I should come up with a name for you, huh?” Louis mused and ran his fingers over her soft fur.

The wolf pup in his arms opened her mouth wide and yawned, wiggling around until she was sprawled out on her back with her tummy in the air and her paws kicking at the sky. Her silly antics pulled a giggle from Louis’ lips as he watched. “Silly girl. Maybe you need a goofy name or something. Could call you peanut butter or pickle,” the boy teased softly and scratched her exposed belly. Fondness for her was already blooming in his chest and he could tell she was going to be a great companion. Her nose wrinkled as she sneezed, her whole body jolting with the force of it like she wasn’t pleased with the names Louis suggested. “No? Maybe you want something strong then, like Warrior or Storm?”

Her small tongue lapped at Louis’ hands as she yipped and pawed at his shirt. Louis grinned and leaned down to nuzzle his nose against hers, getting a small smear of dirt on the tip of his nose from the mud that clung to her fur. “You’ll need a good bath when we get home. I think you’re going to love it. I love baths too,” the omega hummed softly. His heart swelled as he gazed down at the puppy in his arms, his soul feeling fuller than it had in a little while. Having something small and delicate depend on him felt right. It was like his nature was aching for something to take care of, and with a defenseless puppy, he found purpose. He liked knowing that he had a baby to watch over, even if it wasn’t his own infant.

The boy cooed and fawned over the small ball of fur in his lap until Harry returned to his mate and their horses. Louis looked up and smiled at his alpha, holding the puppy’s paw in his hand as he waved it at Harry cutely. Harry couldn’t deny that the wolf was adorable, with her soft grey fur and blue eyes and paws that were too big for her body. It made him a bit nervous to have a wild animal under their care, but when he saw how happy Louis was to have something to care for he knew they would never get rid of her.

“Hey,” Harry greeted and untied Jackson from the tree. “I found a little Ma and Pop shop on the edge of town.” His rough hands grabbed the reins and steered Jackson towards the town below. When he was sure Louis was following him, he led the way down the slope of the hill just behind an old church that stood tall with broken stained-glass windows and mildew dripping down the siding.

The silence that had filled the town was broken with the clopping of hooves falling on pavement. Louis’ grip on the worn leather reins tightened as he sat a little straighter in the saddle. His blue eyes were wide, darting around them at the empty streets and hollowed out buildings. He swallowed thickly as the nerves kicked in. He didn’t like this at all. There was something off about this town that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. As he peered inside a few of the homes, he was shocked to see completely bare walls and entire rooms that were empty of any furniture at all.

“Harry?” Louis whispered, steering Libby closer to Jackson and Harry. He couldn’t help but want to hurry to wherever he would be hiding, feeling much too vulnerable out in the open of this town.

The alpha glanced over at Louis and offered a reassuring smile. His lips parted as he mouthed ‘it’s okay’ to his omega. He didn’t want to risk being any louder than they already were, he’d only been able to clear a few buildings before he had found a hiding spot for Louis and he didn’t know if there was anyone else in town. The streets were empty and the town was silent, but Harry was always wary.

They rounded the next street and stopped in front of a small brick building with pitched rooves and windows that were boarded up. With a hand held up, Harry brought Jackson to halt and heard Libby’s hooves stop at his gesture.

Louis’ brows furrowed and his bottom lip raw from his incessant nibbling on it from worry. Soft ears brushed against his chin as the pup leaned up to lick his chin, bringing a small smile to his face. With Harry’s help, he slid from the saddle and crept inside the building.

Darkness washed over them, the only light that managed to leak into the building from the slats of wood covering the windows faded over shelves that were half empty. Louis glanced up at Harry and received a calming hand on his back, soothing his worries. “It’s okay. You’ll be safe here. Just stay quiet and look around for anything useful,” Harry whispered in his ear and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Lock the door when I leave.”

Louis nodded nervously and leaned into Harry’s touch. “Okay. Will you hurry back? I don’t like it here,” he said softly. Harry’s curls bobbed as the alpha nodded and his lips formed a tight smile.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. We’ll head home soon,” the man promised and left one last kiss to Louis’ soft skin before retreating back out the front door. The omega hurried over to the door and turned the lock with a click that echoed through the small store.

He could hear the ticking of a clock somewhere in the back of the shop. Pulling out his flashlight, Louis clutched the wolf pup to his chest and shined his light over the shelves surrounding him. By the looks of it, the store had been boarded up tight enough that looters hadn’t been able to get in. Most of the shelves still held cans of food along with a few knickknacks. The first aisle held boxes of noodles and loaves of moldy bread that had Louis wrinkling his nose in disgust.

With a determined hum, Louis grabbed his backpack and started packing boxes of noodles into it before grabbing an armful of bags of rice. Though he had learned how to make homemade pasta, he still wasn’t perfect at it, so they’d need more boxed noodles. Rice was a great find, Louis hadn’t been able to eat rice in quite a while because Harry had run out of rice a few months prior and they weren’t able to grow and harvest rice in their garden patch.

As Louis explored the different aisles, he found himself calming down and a sense of focus and concentration replaced his nerves. He was quick to snatch up a few bags of coffee beans and tea, stuffing them down into his pack to try to fit as much as he could into his backpack. A grin flew to his lips and he nearly squealed with excitement upon his discovery of a few bars of chocolate and a roll of Starbursts. His feet danced happily as he added them to his loot and spun around to let out a gasp.

When he realized it was only his reflection, Louis let out a breath and shook his head. “Get it together, Louis,” he whispered to himself and padded around the next aisle. When the puppy in his arms began to squirm, Louis crouched and set her down. Her nails clicked against the linoleum, the sound fading as she wandered through the store.

Louis wasn’t sure how long he hid in the store, but he had managed to find a few balls of yarn in pink, purple, and a dark navy that would be perfect for making a few blankets or sweaters out of. He’d also spotted a fake fern that he’d nabbed as well as a bunch of spices that they didn’t have at home in the cabin. When he was sure he had searched every inch of the shop, Louis curled up in the corner on a pile of blankets with the wolf pup nestled in his lap while they waited for Harry to return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please leave your thoughts! I love reading your comments!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that! An update that's a few days early! I'll be out of town this weekend but I wanted you all to have a little something to read so I made sure it was out before I left! Enjoy!

The sound of pounding on the door shattered the lovely dream Louis was having and had his heart jumping into his throat. A strangled scream climbed up his throat, his arms holding tighter to the wolf pup in his arms. _Don’t scream, don’t scream, don’t scream_ he chanted to himself silently as he quietly crawled towards the window to peek through the cracks between the boards nailed across the window.

With a barely audible gulp, Louis pulled his small handgun from the back of the waistband of his leggings. His small hands trembled as he gripped the pup with one hand and held the gun up with his finger on the guard next to the trigger, remembering Harry’s directions to not put it on the trigger until he was ready to shoot. The red button next to his finger was off, meaning he was ready to shoot if he should need to.

The pounding on the door came again, having the omega flinching and blinking back scared tears. He peered through the small cracks in the window and squinted against the rays of the spring sun. He couldn’t make out anything through such a small area, only the blur of green leaves on the trees and the cracked dirt-caked sidewalk was visible. He would have to either open the door or call out to whoever it was. A small whimper escaped his lips as he took a shaky breath and prepared to open the door.

“Baby, it’s me. It’s okay to open the door,” Harry called softly. The warm vanilla of his deep voice sent waves of sweet reassurance through the boy’s veins.

Louis let out a cry of relief and nearly dropped the gun in his haste to unlock the deadbolt and throw open the door. Strong arms wrapped him up in a tight hug as soon as that door was open. “Harry,” he whimpered and shoved his face into Harry’s neck in search of his soothing scent.

“What is it, Peachy? Everything okay?” Harry murmured and pushed them back into the shop before shutting the door behind them. In the darkness of the abandoned building, Harry rubbed a hand up and down Louis’ back and carefully took the gun from the poor boy’s trembling hand.

Unsettled pheromones were still rolling off of the omega and it had Harry also on edge. The air smelled like soured peaches and burnt sugar as Louis’ scent wafted off his skin and soaked into Harry’s shirt.

“Shhh, baby. It’s okay, you’re alright.” Harry soothed the tension in Louis’ shoulders with slow circles being rubbed into the boy’s back. “You’re safe. We both are, just take some deep breaths for me, okay Princess?”

With a shaky nod, Louis fisted Harry’s shirt in his small hands. “M sorry. Just got really scared that you were someone else. I hate this place. I wanna go home,” he sniffled and turned his watery blue eyes up at Harry.

His golden skin with small freckles was marked with wet trails trickling down his soft cheeks. Even when he was scared, he was beautiful. Chestnut brown hair swept over his forehead in light feathery strands that accentuated his blue eyes. “It’s alright, baby. We’ll go home. Come on, let’s go pack up the horses.”

The bell chimed as the door opened again and they left behind the stale, dark, and cold store to bask in the rays of the sun. Harry’s arm snaked around Louis’ waist as he led him into an alley where the horses were waiting. Harry had already set up the travois from a few branches and twine wrapped tightly where they crossed to secure them together. Sheet metal lay across the travois behind Jackson, supporting the weight of the packs filled with supplies. Louis’ backpack was added to the travois and Harry had fashioned a makeshift carrier for the wolf pup out of one of the saddlebags that would lay across Libby’s flank and cocoon the small pup for the ride home.

Louis offered Harry a small grateful smile and settled the pup in her cradle for the next few hours, feeding her a few bites of jerky and giggling when she licked his fingers looking for more. He scratched behind her ears before kissing her forehead and turning back towards Harry. “Let’s go home.”

Harry nodded his head, rough callouses of his fingers dragging across Louis’ soft skin as he brushed the sandy locks from his eyes. “How about I give you that hair cut when we get home? We got a little carried away yesterday.”

“That’d be great, thank you,” Louis mumbled and leaned into Harry’s touch before he pulled away and fit his foot into his stirrup. With Harry’s hand on his back, he hoisted himself up onto the Appaloosa and wiggled as he settled into the saddle. A pink blush formed across his cheeks and nose as Harry pressed a kiss to Louis’ knee with a loving smile.

Harry patted Louis’ thigh and squeezed his flesh gently before climbing onto Jackson and clicking his tongue, sending his stallion forward. The travois scraped against the pavement as they rode down the street, the sound echoing through the empty streets was enough to have Louis’ anxiety spiking. He just wanted to get out of the city and back to the safety of the forest where they would be hidden and could ride quietly on soft earth.

Louis’ eyes darted around their surroundings with his bottom lip pulled between his teeth. His lips were red and a bit raw from his constant pulling and biting at them. His teeth nipped at the sensitive flesh, pulling on loose skin until he peeled off a layer of skin and tasted the iron of his blood. He wiped at his wet lips and winced as it stained his fingers. He hated the sight of blood, it brought shivers down his spine and set his stomach in a nauseous twist.

He was thankful that they were already at the edge of town and was happy to be able to get off of the paved road as they rode just a block until they passed the church again. The scraping of wood against pavement was soon muffled as they road back into the grass and started up the incline of the hill in the back yard.

As they left the ghost town in their wake, Louis found it easier and easier to breathe with every step away from Falcon’s Cove. The relief he felt lifted the weight he hadn’t realized was lying heavily in his stomach once they were under the cover of thick trees and grassy underbrush. His eyes fell to the saddlebag that nudged against his leg, smiling down at the wolf pup peering around with intense blue eyes. He leaned down to pet her gently and hummed one of the lullabies his mother used to sing to him and his little sisters when they were toddlers.

The leaves sprouting from the trees trembled in the warm spring breeze and birds were chirping in the canopy above their heads. With a deep inhale, Louis took in the earthy scent of mud and wet wood that reminded him of their little cabin in the woods.

For reasons Harry can’t quite explain, he began to feel curls of anxiety bubbling in his gut. He could tell that Louis was finally relaxed as he soaked in the warm sun, but he got the feeling something bad was coming. Like their luck had run out and something was going to happen. His dry throat constricted as he felt like thick thorns lodged themselves in his airway sideways. It was quiet, maybe too quiet.

His fingers twitched towards the holster on his hip, flicking the snaps on his holster to release the leather strap that held his weapon in place. He darted his gaze around the woods surrounding them and strained his ears to listen for movement.

To Harry, the air felt thick with anticipation as the frogs stopped croaking and the birds seemed quieter. It was like the animals were holding their breath, waiting for whatever was to come.

Louis’ humming floated among the pollen, like an eerie call of innocence that something dark would come swallow up. Harry’s eyes flickered to Louis’ sweet face that didn’t have a care in the world. Starlight lived in his eyes and sunshine curled around his golden skin, caressing it delicately.

“Louis,” Harry breathed, throat raw and scratchy. Blue eyes met his a few feet away and followed as the alpha lifted a finger to his lips.

Silence fell once again.

Leaves rustled.

A twig snapped under the foot of a rabbit.

Nothing.

And then all at once, something.

Louis’ eyes widened in panic, looking to his alpha for direction.

Harry couldn’t be certain how far away but when gunshots rang out, slicing through the thick silence like a sword through paper, his brain kicked into overdrive. “Louis, go!” Harry barked out, hissing between his teeth as he dug his heels into Jackson’s sides and spurred him into a run.

With a tight grip on the reins and one hand holding tightly to the horn of the saddle for dear life, Louis kicked his heels and let Libby out completely as she ran after Harry and Jackson, hot on their heels. He didn’t bother to steer, trusting that Libby would stay on their trail and follow them wherever they went.

A whimper echoed in his chest as Louis dared to glance back, greeted by nothing but empty forest and trees waking up from winter. Branches whizzed by his head as more gunshots rang out, sending the bluebirds that settled in the trees up into a flurry of wings as they screamed their angry song. Louis could feel the sting of fresh cuts on his hands and face when he faced forward again as the tiny twigs that hung from the trees whipped what was exposed, making their mark on his delicate skin.

Ahead of him, Harry had his gun at the ready while his other hand held onto the reins, steering Jackson through the clusters of trees, the travois bouncing violently along behind them as it hit rocks and fallen sticks. Part of Louis wished they could leave it behind to make a quicker escape, but he also knew that they needed the supplies and their trip couldn’t be for nothing. They had medical supplies, food, and building equipment that was crucial for their survival in isolation and Louis only hoped they would make it out alive to actually use what they had found.

Through the birds squawking and the thundering of hooves against the earth, Harry caught the faint noise of a man and a woman shouting to one another. He couldn’t distinguish the words, but he could tell the shouts were coming from the direction of the town though they seemed closer than Harry had thought. His jaw clenched tightly as he whipped his head around in search of the individuals.

Fury burned in his green eyes, a fire of anger ablaze in his chest as his nerves stood on end and crackled with energy. This is exactly why he hated going to town. He should never have brought Louis with him, but he knew if he wanted to gather as many supplies as he had that he would need both horses. But now the only thing that truly mattered to him was in danger and it was nobody’s fault but his own. He had willingly put Louis at risk and if his boy got hurt today he would never forgive himself.

With another glance behind them, Harry spotted a shadowy figure ducking behind a thick oak tree, no bigger than an ant from this distance but a threat nonetheless. “Louis, go! Keep riding until you get to the marsh,” Harry ordered, steeling himself as he rode Jackson in a loop to turn around and face the danger that crept up on them.

“Harry, no!” Louis cried out, his eyes wide with fright. “Please don’t!”

Harry had to look away from the pleading that pooled in Louis’ beautiful eyes. “I’ll catch up with you, go as fast as you can, and if I’m not there by sunset, find your way home,” he instructed, passing the map and compass to Louis.

“Please, Harry. Don’t stay, come with me,” Louis choked out, tears running in streams down his cheeks that were now covered in small scrapes and specks of mud.

“Baby, go!” Harry snarled, using the low timbre of his voice that he almost never used on Louis to compel him to obey. His heart broke as Louis ducked his head submissively and he glanced at Harry with sad forlorn eyes.

Louis sniffled and had to drag himself from his alpha, an internal battle waging in his heart. He didn’t want to leave behind his alpha, he needed him to survive and that terrified him. He didn’t want to live in this world without Harry and he’d rather stay with him and fight with him than run away and risk one of them getting lost. But his biology forced him to obey as he kicked his heels into Libby’s side and sent her galloping away from the man that held his heart.

He would pay for making Louis leave later, he was sure. But Harry needed to know that Louis was out of harm’s way. With the travois strapped to Jackson, Harry would only slow Louis down. Louis’ safety was more important than the anger that he knew Louis would harbor for a few days. The omega was pretty good at holding grudges, but he always broke after a day or two of Harry’s groveling. His petite form disappeared beyond the pines as Harry watched his boy ride away from him, taking part of his heart with him.

Pushing his anxiety away, Harry gripped the pistol in his hand and took deep breaths to center himself. He steeled himself to whatever he was about to do just like he had when he was on the police force. He had become a master at numbing his feelings and pushing away his humanity to do what he needed to do to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

Beyond the bushes, a twig snapped and a low whistle echoed through the trees. The eerie melody of a long low whistle followed by a higher-pitched one sent shivers creeping down Harry’s spine, following the bead of sweat that rolled from the base of his hairline down his spine. _Louis. I need to protect Louis._

Harry growled low in his chest, the deep sound rumbling out of him menacingly as a figure crept out from behind a tree and stalked closer. He couldn’t get a good shot, not with the bushes hiding most of the figure that inched closer.

“Stop,” Harry’s voice boomed loudly as his body puffed up and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. “Don’t you fucking move.”

A chuckle reached his ears as a second figure darted to the other side of the trail they were riding on. “That’s an awfully nice horse you’ve got there,” a feminine voice hissed and slithered through the leaves.

“I said don’t fucking move! I’ll kill you both right here and now,” Harry threatened as his weight rolling when Jackson shifted uneasily below him. His thighs squeezed tighter around the stallion to keep him from moving.

“Good luck with that. Two against one isn’t exactly good odds. Do you really think you’ll be able to protect that sweet little thing you sent away?” The male voice sneered from behind an oak.

“You touch him and I’ll cut your knot off and feed it to you,” Harry grit through clenched teeth.

The female alpha laughed from her hiding spot, the sound of it so evil and dark that Harry was glad Louis was not here to hear it. “You’re going to be terribly disappointed when we string you up in the trees and gut you for your omega to find then,” she hummed and fired her gun, a bullet digging itself in the trunk next to Harry’s head. She was toying with him.

“As soon as we’re done carving you up and ripping you open, we’ll track that sweet little thing to wherever he’s hiding. I’m sure he’d hate to see our handiwork, don’t you think?”

“Oh yes, but we need to show him what happens when we’re not obeyed. He’s gotta know what we’ll do to him if he fights back.”

“And then we’ll take him back to our camp.”

Harry could only imagine the horrible things they would do to Louis if they ever found him and he silently prayed to whoever was out there listening that he would make it out of this or at the very least, that Louis would run and not stop. Anger boiled in his veins like magma ready to explode and destroy everything in its path.

He just needed a single moment. The perfect opportunity, even if only for a split second, to attack and stop the two alphas from taking away the light of his world. Evergreen eyes flicked between the trees, mapping out every escape route and advantage points that he could be attacked from.

The low whistle sounded once more from his left, only to be echoed by a higher whistle just to his right. The skin on the back of his neck prickled, like stinging nettle shooting pins and needles into his flesh. The last whistle echoed through the forest, bouncing off the trees and causing Harry’s throat to constrict. As the last notes of the whistle faded, the static in the air buzzed in Harry’s ears as he waited. And then they were on him.

He was covered in mud. It was caked onto his boots, smeared on his legs, and stuck under his fingernails. The sun had hidden itself behind the clouds, leaving a wash of gray fog in its place that cloaked the trees in mist. Louis’ hands were trembling on the wooden stock of the gun as he curled up as small as he could, nestled underneath a fallen pine tree. He felt safe here, well as safe as he could, with the familiar smell of pine that reminded him of his alpha. His gun rested against his knees where they were pulled up to his chest, holding the wolf pup against his chest as she squirmed to get free.

When he had heard the gunshots, he’d nearly fallen from Libby’s back as she bolted through the woods. That felt like ages ago. The echoes of gunfire had followed him like a ghost, but Louis knew he couldn’t turn around. He could only hope that in a few hours Harry would find him, and they would return home together.

As he sat beneath his shelter of rotting wood and dry pine needles, he listened to the music of the reeds shifting in the wind and the frogs croaking somewhere near the pond. He was grateful for the soft noises of the swamp wildlife around him, keeping him from getting lost in his own thoughts as he worried about his mate. Every time a twig snapped, or the water splashed his hand would tighten around the gun and his mind would go wild with panic. Each time it was merely a fish jumping in the pond or a small squirrel or rabbit rustling the leaves and he would let out a small sigh of relief.

Libby was tied to a tree a few yards away, not hidden nearly as well as Louis was. If someone other than Harry came upon her, he would just have to wait to be discovered or shoot them from his hiding place. He could hear her shuffle every once in a while, but she was mostly silent as she rested after the long three hours it took to run back to the marsh.

His fingers ran through the silky fur on the wolf’s back as the wiggling pup squirmed in his lap. Her warmth seeped into Louis’ bones and kept him grounded while they sat and waited. From his perch under the trees, Louis watched with unfocused glassy eyes as a hawk swooped down and snatched up what Louis assumed was a field mouse. Images flashed through his mind of himself being found by a predator, scooped up, and devoured by an enemy that Louis couldn’t even see.

With a whimper, Louis curled further in on himself and buried his nose in fur. He just wanted his alpha back and wanted to be home in their nest. He missed their soft blankets and the smell of pine and peaches mixing perfectly to create their own aroma that seeped into every corner of their cozy and quaint little cabin. He missed curling up in his reading nook with one of Harry’s books and enjoying a mug of tea. He longed to wake up with Harry’s broad chest pressed to his back and a strong arm wrapped around his waist to cradle him lovingly.

His stomach was growling with hunger, but the food was in Harry’s saddlebag. He couldn’t help but let his mind wander to what would happen if Harry didn’t return, if his alpha never came for him. He wouldn’t be able to take care of the cabin and the farm by himself and without his mate, he didn’t think he would even have the will to survive.

Time crawled by slowly and at some point, Louis hadn’t a clue how long he’d been hiding, it had begun to rain. Water drenched the small boy as it trickled down the sides of the pine branches Louis was hiding in. The mud that was already caked to his clothes and skin grew wet and sloppy and sunk into his skin. The cool spring air grew even colder as the rain fell and the sun began to sink in the sky, it chilled Louis to the bone despite the omega burrowing further into his hiding spot with the wolf pup to share his body heat.

Louis couldn’t tell what was tears and what was rain anymore, he just knew his cheeks were wet and his heart was aching with longing. His fingers were numb, and his socks were soaked in his boots, water squelching between his toes.

The wolf pup’s ears perked up as her icy blue eyes opened, her head cocked to the side. Louis swallowed thickly and tightened his arms around her, the familiar panic bubbling in his chest. Something or someone was coming, though he himself couldn’t yet hear it. He took a deep breath, hearing it rattle in his own lungs as he took the safety off of his gun and prepared to defend himself.

Gradually, the sound of hooves in the muck carried to Louis’ ears. His heart beat a little faster, hope rising as he leaned forward to peer between the branches covering him. If someone had hurt Harry, chances are they would have taken Jackson and followed Libby’s tracks to find him, so he remained hidden until he could be certain that his alpha was okay.

Hooves stopped right in front of the trees Louis was curled up beneath and the omega’s breath caught in his throat as he waited. A pair of boot-clad feet dropped into the mud just four feet from Louis. With the mud and blood that coated the worn-out boots, Louis couldn’t tell if it was Harry or not. His hands trembled as fresh tears leaked down his cheeks and he held the pistol and aimed where he thought the body might be.

Smoked vanilla crept through the fog, blending with the smell of pine that was surrounding Louis. His bottom lip pulled between his teeth and his eyes widened as the wolf pup yipped in his lap. He scrambled to cover her mouth when a familiar voice spoke to him.

“Sweetheart, it’s your Alpha. It’s safe. I need you to put the gun down,” the deep voice coaxed the panicked omega.

Relieved tears poured from Louis’ eyes as he dropped the gun and released the wolf pup in his arms. “Harry!” Louis sobbed and crawled on his hands and knees, scrabbling through the mud to get to his alpha.

When Louis saw the blood and mud covering Harry’s jacket, he froze. “Harry?” He questioned, staring at the red stains on his jacket.

Harry’s hands reached out to the omega, ushering him forward. “It’s not mine, my love. I’m okay,” he promised and sunk to his knees in front of the scared boy caked in mud. His fingers brushed over the boy’s cheek, cleaning the mud from his skin.

Louis threw himself into Harry’s embrace and wrapped his arms and legs around his torso, tears falling onto his cargo jacket that was now ruined. Harry’s hand rubbed up and down his back, holding his boy tightly to his chest as he murmured soft words into his ear. Relief flooded his veins and coursed through him as he pressed his face into Harry’s neck.

“I love you, Peaches. Love you so much,” Harry vowed, pressing desperate kisses to Louis’ exposed skin as he assured him that everything was going to be okay. The rain was still falling down on them, but as long as his boy was back in his arms and the threat was eliminated, he couldn’t care less.

Louis’ head nodded eagerly as he tried to press himself impossibly closer and wipe at the tears rolling down his cheeks. “Love you, Alpha. Please take me home. Wanna be home,” he whimpered and clutched at Harry’s shirt.

“Okay, baby. We’ll go home. But you’ll need to ride Libby on your own. Can you do that for me?” Harry murmured with his lips pressed to the top of Louis’ head. The omega whined but nodded, a pout on his beautifully pink lips.

Harry scooped Louis up into his arms and reached into the hiding place Louis had been curled up in to grab his gun. With the weapon safely tucked away, Harry carried the boy over to Libby and helped him up onto the Appaloosa’s saddle. He pressed his lips against Louis’ cheek and another kiss to the back of Louis’ hand before pulling away. With a small smile, he leaned down and grabbed the small wolf pup that was running circles around Libby’s hooves.

As soon as Harry was sure Louis would be alright to ride Libby home, he hoisted himself up onto Jackson and urged him forward, eager to be home once again. He desperately needed a shower, they both did, and the blood that had splattered onto his jacket was a cruel reminder of the day’s events. He couldn’t wait to rip off his jacket and burn it.

“Lou, I need to tell you something. After what happened today, I just feel like you should know and be aware of it. Do you remember the first time we went into town together all those months back?” Harry’s brows furrowed, creating a crease between them. When Louis looked over at him he continued. “That day when I went into the building next door, I killed an alpha. He was coming at me to attack me and I shot him. Something seemed off about him, so I returned a few days later to see if he had been living in a camp or if there was a community he was with. I didn’t know why at the time, but I felt the need to make sure I eliminated anything that was a threat to you. When I went back to check things out, I found where he had been camping.

“It was awful, Louis. The alpha that had attacked me must’ve found a girl. An omega. She – she was lying there in his tent. She was dead,” Harry revealed and stared down at the worn-in leather reins in his hand. “He had been abusing her in just about every way and when I saw what he had done to her, I just couldn’t handle it. I came straight home and ran far from that red tent. It haunted me for days. I saw red tents and dead omegas in my dreams practically every night. In one of them, that omega was you. I found you there in his tent. It fucking ruined me. I realized when I woke up and you were still alive that you mattered more to me than I had thought.

“When you held me and reassured me while I was freaking out, you were my anchor. You weren’t scared off by an alpha with a panic disorder. My scars and my past weren’t too much for you to bear, you saw every part of me and loved me regardless. That’s when I knew I would spend the rest of my life protecting you and vowing to love you endlessly,” Harry murmured. “I will never let you die. As long as I live, I will do everything in my power to keep you alive.”

Louis nodded, his muddied sleeve coming up to wipe his tears. “I love you too. But I swear to God, if you leave me on this earth I’ll bring you back to life and kill you all over again. I couldn’t survive without you. I’ll kill you if you die.”

Harry let out a soft chuckle and nodded, glancing over at his boy with gentle eyes and soft smiles. “I’ll do my very best not to leave you. Forever and always,” he agreed and sidled up next to Louis to give him a soft kiss.

Coming home has never felt so good, Louis decided. The warm glow of the outdoor lights attracted the moths and drew Louis into its safety. When his boots hit the wooden boards of the front deck, Louis immediately kicked them off and turned to Harry with the wolf pup in his big brawny arms. He slipped his hands under the puppy’s belly and lifted her out of Harry’s hold and into his own. When Harry’s arms were free, Louis tugged on the sleeve of his jacket.

“Yes, Peachy?” Harry murmured, skating his thumb over Louis’ cheek.

“Off. Take it off. I don’t want to see it again,” Louis whispered, ducking his head as he stared down at his muddy socks.

Harry nodded and peeled the soggy jacket off his arms, tossing it in the bonfire pit a few yards from the cabin with a slop. He’d have to burn it in the morning. For now, he needed to get himself and Louis into the shower for some cuddles. “Come on,” he murmured and held the door open for the boy.

With a small flicker of a smile, Louis stepped inside their cabin and carried his little girl into the bathroom. When he set her down, the little wolf toddled around the perimeter of the room sniffing every inch of the tiled floor. Thick arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him back into the alpha’s chest. Louis’ arms itched with the need to get out of his muddy clothing, his skin crawling with the urge to feel clean again. His nose wrinkled at the mud that tracked through the living room and into the bathroom, irritation pulling at his mind.

Rough palms slid up under Louis’ flannel, caressing the soft tan skin they found there. Goosebumps spread in their wake and traveled up his front as those same hands relieved him of his soggy shirt. Soft, full lips brushed against his neck in light kisses and Louis really missed this feeling, despite it being only a handful of hours since he had been the subject of Harry’s affection.

Being held so sweetly and gently had his skin buzzing with pleasure and he felt so alive, forgetting about the mud that Harry had tracked into their home with his muddy boots and dirty pants. With pools of vulnerability in his eyes, he gazed up at his alpha and fumbled with the buttons on Harry’s shirt. With each inch of his chest that was revealed, Louis found himself melting.

Warm water fell down on them, rolling down their skin in cascading rivers that warmed Louis from the outside in. The deep breaths he took of steaming hot air that smelled of pine and vanilla cleared his mind of evil alphas and mutilated victims. Blood and death turned to warm woods and sunlight.

“Do you know what you’re gonna name her?” Harry asked, running his fingers through Louis’ hair as the smaller boy tilted his head back to keep the mud from going in his eyes. The water at their feet turned brown with the dirt that washed away from their skin.

Louis shook his head softly and closed his eyes. “Not yet. I feel like she needs something cute. But none of the names I’ve thought up seem to fit.”

Shampoo was added and bubbles foamed up in Louis’ soft caramel hair. “Yeah? What kinds of names did you think of so far?”

“Lily, Sweet Pea, Luna, Gracie, Stormie, Blizzard,” Louis listed. “None of them seem right. They just don’t fit her. Do you have any ideas?”

Perfect lips pursed as Harry brainstormed names, pressing his fingers into Louis’ scalp as he slowly massaged little circles. The omega purred under Harry’s touch, corners of his mouth turning up in a soft smile. “Rosie, Zola, Kit,” he suggested but received nothing more than a wrinkled nose with each suggestion.

“I want her name to mean something. I thought about naming her after my mom but she doesn’t have the right personality for the name Susie. Plus, it’s probably a weird name for a wolf,” Louis sighed and lashes fluttered when he opened his eyes to look up at Harry.

“You know, Zac’s cousin had a cat once. Her name was Kai, I think. It meant willow tree,” Harry mused and ran the orange loofa over Louis’ skin. He watched Louis’ mouth twitch and his brows raise a little like they did when he debated things in his head.

Louis giggled when the shower curtain moved, the small head of the wolf pup poking underneath the curtain as if she knew they were talking about her. “Hello, cutie,” the boy chirped and knelt to pet her head. “You’re filthy. You need a bath, don’t you? Come here.”

Soon, there were three of them in the shower and little muddy paws pattered against the water as she explored the bathtub. “She’s a curious one, isn’t she?” Harry chuckled and grabbed the bottle to wash his own hair while Louis crouched on the floor to try to clean up the wolf pup.

“That she is, my curious little girl. So tiny and sweet,” Louis cooed.

Harry pursed his lips as he washed himself up. “You know, I think the name Kayah means She is Little but Wise,” he suggested. “And I’m pretty sure Miki means little. Could do something along those lines.”

A cheerful grin that graced the sweet boy’s face could light up a room all on its own and the way Louis’ eyes shone brightly when he was excited in a way that reminded Harry that he would live the rest of his life and still be captivated by him. “She is little but wise,” the omega murmured, rubbing soap over the sweet wolf’s silver fur. “Kayah,” he tried and laughed softly when the wolf pup turned towards him and wagged her wet tail eagerly. “Do you like that name, little one?”

When the pup yipped and jumped up onto Louis’ knee, he giggled and pressed a kiss to her snout. “Then Kayah you shall be, sweet girl,” he whispered.

Wrapped in heavy knit blankets, Harry cradled his lover in his arms and pressed gentle kisses to soft skin. Warm breath fanned over his chest and fluffy hair tickled his nose. That night, Louis woke with a strangled gasp. His body was sticky with sweat and his cheeks were slick with tears. Fingers and lips trembled with the breath of the day’s earlier events breathing down his neck. It wasn’t until his alpha nuzzled his neck and murmured soothing words that the tears stopped. Hours passed spent with Alpha and Omega curled up in their nest with Kayah snuggled up to Louis’ chest.

When the sun rose the next morning, golden rays leaked through the sheer white curtains. Whiskers tickled Louis’ nose as he scrunched it with a whine. A wet nose snuffled against his cheek. Louis groaned and pushed the tiny nose away from his cheek. The vague sounds of pots clanking in the sink from the kitchen echoed through their cabin, drawing Louis further from sleep. His hand met the cool pillow next to him and his lips pouted softly.

After a rough night of tossing and turning as he fled the nightmares that awaited him, Louis’ body was still exhausted and his mind was fuzzy. Muscles ached and bones creaked, grating like stone against stone. Louis let out a sigh and rested his hand on Kayah’s back. “Fine. ‘M up,” he grumbled and rubbed his sleepy eyes with the back of his hand.

His socked feet wiggled out from their pile of blankets and landed on the ground with a soft thud. His legs felt heavy and sluggish, stumbling his way to the bathroom for a shower and some good brushing with his toothbrush. When he stepped into the shower under the hot spray of the water, the streams shot straight over his head.

“Fucking Alpha,” Louis huffed, frustration creeping up his back and nipping at his mind. Harry had been adjusting the showerhead practically every day, moving it too high to the point that it would spray against the back wall of the shower and leak out behind the curtain, splashing onto the floor in a huge puddle. Frankly, it had been pissing Louis off and today it pushed him right up to the edge and shoved him over.

Irritation ate at him like licks of flames, gnawing on him as he hurriedly rubbed shampoo through his hair after shifting the showerhead down a few inches. He scrubbed at his skin with his short nails, muttering under his breath about big dumb alphas and the puddle that he would probably step in when he finished up in the shower.

His toes curled on the wet bathmat that awaited him when he got out of the shower, a scowl creeping onto his normally cute and joyful features. Anger bubbled in his tummy and his hands balled up into little fists. With each step he took towards the kitchen, frustration fizzled in his fingertips.

“Listen, Harold. You’ve gotta stop fucking messing with my showerhead,” Louis snapped as he put his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest.

The alpha looked taken aback by Louis’ sudden outburst, but his eyes skated over the boy’s bare skin, ghosting over perky pink nipples, soft thick thighs, and the dip of his waist. Despite Louis being mad at him, he couldn’t help but gaze lovingly at his mate. “Your showerhead?”

Louis scoffed and stomped his foot, cocking his hip. “Yes. My showerhead. Your freakishly tall head messes it up every time you shower before me and the water sprays around leaves a big ass puddle on the ground,” he practically squeaked with exasperation.

Harry’s amused smile only served to provoke Louis as his beautiful green eyes softened immensely with adoration. “Don’t look at me like that!” Louis huffed and turned on his heel, though he could feel the heat of Harry’s gaze on his ass. His tiny feet stomped across rustic wooden beams towards their room, leaving little watery footprints on the floor.

A gasp escaped Louis’ lips as thick fingers grabbed his wrist and pulled him back into a solid chest. “Look at you like what, little one?” Harry mused, Louis’ favorite dimple cratering into his cheek. His other hand dropped to Louis’ waist, skating over his soft skin.

Louis bit back his desires and pursed his lips, raising a brow up at his alpha. “Like that. All horny and stuff. I’m trying to be upset with you.”

Harry’s smirk deepened and he held his hands up in defense. “My apologies, Peaches. Continue,” he chuckled and turned back to the kitchen to wash up the pan from the eggs he had just made Louis. “Breakfast is ready, by the way.”

Though his back was turned to him, Harry knew Louis’ nose would be wrinkled with the effort it took not to melt over being taken care of. His shoulders would drop and the muscles in his face would loosen.

He could hear the sound of a plate being set down on the table just outside the kitchen and then the quiet grumbling that was soft enough that he couldn’t quite make out what the boy was saying. He had no doubt it was about Harry’s mishap with the shower this morning. He didn’t try to leave it that way, he just was a bit oblivious to the fact that it left puddles on the floor or was too tall for Louis.

Harry smiled to himself, warmth spreading through his veins while he knelt on the floor by the front door and mopped up the mud and small traces of blood that his boots had brought into the cabin the night before. Each pass of the wet cloth erased the evidence of the ugliness from the previous day in their haven. This was their retreat, their heaven on earth, and their home. It should not be marred with the evil that lived elsewhere.

Flashes of metal glinting in the light that filtered through the trees appeared in his mind, momentarily taking him away from his present and bringing him back to the horrific feeling of blood splashing against his clothes and death stinking up the air. He had hardly realized he had zoned out until a small tongue was licking his hand.

Harry blinked in surprise, his body jerking backward as Mayah stood in front of him with her wiggling tail and icy blue eyes. He could feel Louis’ eyes on him, so he looked up and met them while his lovely boy sat naked at their table eating his breakfast. The omega was watching him with a knowing weight to his expression. With a cough, Harry got to his feet and stepped outside with the wolf pup hot on his heels. “No no, you stay with Louis,” he muttered and tried to hold the door open for Kayah to go back inside and return to Louis’ side. When she merely stared at him, her head cocked to the side and tail wagging, he rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. “Fine. Go pee outside so you don’t piss on my carpet.”

A giggle echoed through the small wooden cabin, pulling the corners of Harry’s lips up. The door slammed shut behind him and the cool spring air of the morning nipped at his nose. It seemed like the temperatures had dropped from the previous day. Maybe there were more storms to come. Harry couldn’t be sure.

With a flick of his fingers, Harry struck a match and watched the flame eat up the small wooden stick for a moment before he dropped it into the pit. His bloodied jacket was quick to ignite and Harry watched as the flickers of flames slowly consumed the dirty canvas fabric.

Kayah was frolicking through the long grass around the clearing that surrounded the cabin, her tail wagging as she explored her new home. She was cute, Harry could admit that much. She seemed sweet and she would probably be good for Louis, but Harry was a relatively stubborn man so he turned away from the pup and grabbed the ax to split more wood.

Louis had no idea what was wrong with him. Things that wouldn’t normally bother him were now grating on his every nerve, sending curls of aggravation up his spine. The other day Harry had left out a sandwich for Louis after making one for himself. On an average day, it would have brought a smile to Louis’ face but the boy couldn’t help the annoyance that crept under his skin. He didn’t want a turkey sandwich and by the time he had come in from the garden, the bread was dried out and Harry had put mustard on it. If there was one food item that Louis hated most, it was mustard. The small omega had clenched his fist and threw the sandwich out onto the deck for Kayah to eat.

He knew that he had agreed to clean up after her, but every time Kayah would have an accident in their home or would whine to be let out at night, and Harry would nudge him or wait for Louis to take care of it, anger flickered behind his bright blue irises. Every time Harry would look at him expectantly when the wolf pup had an accident or it was nearing her dinner time, Louis would grit his teeth and hold back his sassy comments.

In the woods surrounding the cabin, Louis found solitude. It was where he retreated when his frustration or irritation became too much with his little wolf at his heel nearly every time. Among the pines and juniper bushes Louis would lay, watching the clouds float above the canopy of greenery that shaded his eyes from the sun. He’d close his eyes and listen to the birds singing and the rustling of critters scurrying through the brush. Being out in the tranquility of nature helped him to calm down and even out his mood.

It helped to have Kayah, the little mischievous ball of sunshine, always trailing behind him whenever Louis wandered off. She was never really more than five feet from him and she never failed to bring a smile to his face or make him giggle with her silly antics. Recently, Louis had caught her in his and Harry’s room with a pair of Harry’s boxer briefs in her mouth. He’d scolded her and tossed them back into Harry’s drawer and when the alpha later went to put them on, there were a million small holes from Kayah’s razor-sharp baby teeth. When the alpha discovered his destroyed underpants, Louis giggled uncontrollably with a hand on his tummy as he bent over, his face red from laughing so hard. Kayah just sat there adorably, her tail wagging like she was proud of her work.

She was smart, that little wolf of his. When Louis had started working on training her, she picked up on the commands quickly. Her repertoire was already filled with knowing her name, how to sit, stay, and come. She was still struggling a little with stay, but that was to be expected in such an excitable and energetic pup. Louis also still needed to work on potty-training her, but the young pup seemed intent on ignoring that one. It was nearly every day that Louis would find a little present waiting for them in the most random of places. Half the time, Harry ended up finding them and he would always groan in frustration, sparing a glance towards Louis that was interpreted as ‘you’re the one that brought this trouble-maker into our home so you take care of it.’ Was Louis reading too far into the situation? Possibly, but he couldn’t help the annoyance that crept into his bones.

It was a bit worrying, in all honesty. Louis wasn’t used to feeling trapped in his own body but he was now. Every day he struggled with the aggravation that lingered and hovered over him like a rain cloud. It was beyond frustrating to feel like he was at the whim of his emotions. He had always prided himself on being a relaxed, low-maintenance omega but ever since that day they went to Falcon’s Cove he felt like part of him had changed. He still loved Harry immensely, but it was undeniable that Louis’ feelings had been strained as of late.

He only hoped this was a short-term change in emotions and that he wouldn’t become too much of a handful for Harry. He couldn’t lose his alpha. Not now, not ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you all think? I absolutely love to read your comments, so keep them coming! They keep me going and are a great motivation :) Is there anything you'd like to see more of? Anything you'd like to see less of? Let me know!


	13. Chapter 13

Harry wasn’t completely oblivious. He had noticed the sharpness in Louis’ remarks and the way his eyes would fade to a cold, harsher hue of blue at times. Louis’ prickly façade had the alpha on edge, always trying his best to be a good alpha for Louis but struggling when he didn’t know what he was doing wrong. Ever since they were attacked outside Falcon’s Cove, Louis had been different around him. His usual soft and sweet self was more on-edge and he seemed to always be fussing about one thing or another.

After working on the force for so many years, Harry had seen all kinds of responses to traumatic events and it wasn’t uncommon for victims to be more hostile. Every time Louis huffed in frustration or his nose scrunched up in an agitated sneer, Harry would inhale deeply and remind himself to stay calm. The dominant side of being an alpha set a fiery crackle beneath his skin every time his omega disobeyed him or treated him any other way than his usual sweet and loving self. Over the past few days, it had really been weighing heavily on Harry’s mind and the burden of not pleasing his omega had his shoulders feeling like they would drag on the floor at any moment from the weight of it all.

Louis was huffing around the cabin, his small feet stomping against the slabs of wood nailed across the deck. His freshly cut hair shifted in the wind as he stalked towards the barn. Despite the moodiness Louis had displayed lately, Harry still found his eyes dragging over the petite frame of his mate.

His little bare feet that kicked at the green grass shooting up from the ground, his thighs jiggling with the force of his steps, and his hips that swayed beautifully brought his lips to quirk up into a smile. With watchful green eyes, the alpha’s gaze never left the omega until he disappeared into the barn with a slam of the heavy wooden door with Kayah hot on his heels.

It didn’t take Harry but a minute to hook the ax he was swinging into the stump and clean himself up in the pale of water next to the bucket of kindling. Water dripped down his fingertips as he brought them to his thighs and wiped them dry on his jeans. With the shirt he had rid himself of earlier, he dragged it over the sweaty back of his neck and mopped up the perspiration gathering on his hairline.

His crumpled up and smelly t-shirt dropped to the log next to his ax as Harry discarded it in favor of following Louis’ trail. His large boots left heavy, deep imprints in the dirt and grass next to a set of much smaller bare footprints.

The heavy wood door swung open and shut with a heavy thud as Harry squinted and rubbed at his eyes to adjust to the much darker shade of the barn. Green eyes flit around the building before landing on the curve of the omega’s back. His denim shorts clung to his bottom perfectly in a way that could bring Harry to tears in an instant with sweet, golden legs that looked like honey Harry wanted to taste.

“What do you want?” Louis huffed and Harry could feel the tension that was built up just beneath the surface of his boy as he grabbed a bag of seed to feed the chickens.

Thick lips tucked between his teeth as Harry bit back a frustrated sigh. Without a response, Harry quietly stepped closer to Louis until he was right behind him, hardly an inch between chest and back.

“You stink,” the omega mumbled and scooted away, halting when a large hand grabbed his hand.

“Louis,” Harry’s deep voice sighed. “Stop.”

“Stop what?” Louis muttered and cast his eyes down to the hay beneath his feet, wiggling his toes.

“Just stop for a moment. Literally physically stop,” Harry chuckled and rested his other hand on the dip of Louis’ waist. Annoyance simmered beneath his skin as blue eyes rolled and pink lips pursed like they always did when Louis was moody. “Close your eyes.”

“Harold, this is stupid,” Louis scoffed, flicking his eyes up to stare at Harry’s chin when the alpha’s grip on his hand tightened slightly.

“Peaches.”

“Harry – “

“Omega. Shut your eyes, for the love of God,” Harry snorted out an amused chuckle, cutting Louis off from speaking further. Satisfaction filled his veins when long lashes fluttered shut.

His hand on Louis’ waist drifted from his side to rest on the soft tummy beneath his pale blue button-up with lemons shining brightly and cheerfully in the dark barn. With his hold on the omega’s belly, he gently pulled him back easily, his nose finding its home tucked against the gland beneath his jaw.

“Baby,” Harry whispered and skated pillowed lips over the mark presented proudly on golden skin that tensed under his touch for an instant before slowly melting into the warm frame behind him. “Just stop thinking for a moment. Empty that wonderful mind of yours and breathe.”

His inhale shook as his lungs expanded and pushed Harry’s hand out an inch with the movement of his belly.

The tension built up in the thin layer of muscle between Louis’ shoulders eased with the slow motion of circles rubbed into the smooth expanse of his tummy. Any annoyance that was knotting under his skin and bubbling in his veins began to slowly ease.

Harry nudged his nose behind Louis’ ear, his lips brushing the sensitive skin he found there. Shivers rippled down the boy’s back at the soft caress of lips. “Let go of it all. Feel the ground beneath your feet and the air on your skin. Your alpha is here, focus on the present. Let go of everything else, Peachy.” Harry’s breath fanned over the back of Louis’ neck, tickling lightly.

The petite boy in his arms took a deep breath and slumped back, leaning into the safe harbor that Harry provided. With the arm around him holding him up, Louis let his knees go weak and his head tilted back to rest against Harry’s shoulder. His weight was supported easily as Harry kissed his temple and rubbed his hand over Louis’ ribs that were masked by a soft layer of pudge that the alpha would love to nip and nibble at for days if not weeks.

Louis pooled in the arms of his alpha, worry and stress leaving his body. His mind focused on what he could feel. The straw and hay beneath his toes, the warm puffs of Harry’s breath over his skin, and the heavy hand splayed over his tummy anchored him to the now. With Harry’s strong and soothing stature surrounding him, Louis allowed himself to leave behind the events that took place the week before.

His scent sweetened from sour peaches to warm fruit drizzled in honey. His breaths evened out as his mind emptied.

A small smile pressed against Louis’ temple as his lover melted under his touch. “Good boy,” Harry whispered and dragged his hand down Louis’ soft tummy to the hem of his shorts. “Just relax, baby,” the words cascaded over Louis’ neck in a rush of humid air.

The rough pads of his fingers fumbled before popping the button of Louis’ denim shorts and pulling a stuttered breath from the boy with the simplest of motions. Teasingly, Harry dipped his finger beneath the high waist of his shorts and circled his belly button.

Tantalizing circles drew Louis into a daze, his pink bottom lip tucking between his teeth. From Harry’s position behind him, the alpha dragged his fingers lower and slowly lowered Louis’ zipper, the sound ripping through the silence in the barn.

Louis’ back straightened like a rod when rough fingers met lace, trailing over his soft but slowly hardening little cock. His chest heaved when Harry’s hand moved to undo the buttons of his blouse, a small gasp falling from parted lips when practiced fingers skated over pink buds on his chest.

“What are you feeling, baby?” Harry asked, caressing the delicate skin of Louis’ neck with his pillowed lips.

“What?” Louis breathed, his mind pleasantly empty.

Harry pressed a chuckle to Louis’ bond mark and stroked his finger over Louis’ perky pink nipple, feeling it pinch and bud under the pad of his finger. “Tell me what you’re feeling. Focus on each body part and what you can feel.”

The words seemed to light a flame under his skin that flickered and spread across his neck and down his back. “Um. I feel good. Feel warm,” Louis panted, licking his lips as Harry teased him.

Harry’s amused hum vibrated in his chest. “Is that all? Just warm?” His hand shoved further into Louis’ shorts, light touches stroking over the head of Louis’ dick.

With a whine, Louis pressed back against the firm line that pressed against his cheek through his shorts. “W-Warm and tingly. My tummy is fluttering and um. I can feel your cock.”

A grin tugging at Harry’s lips as the words trembled from Louis’ lips and his legs quaked beneath him. “You can huh?” His fingers rubbed in rounds against the lace.

Louis’ head nodded shakily, his panties growing wet as slick oozed from his hole. “Yeah. I-I can feel your fingers on my um. On my clit,” he stuttered out, gripping at Harry’s forearm and digging his nails into the meaty flesh of it.

Harry’s eyes practically rolled back in pleasure as he rubbed the small bulge in Louis’ panties in tighter circles, grinding forward against the swell of his ass. “Good. Such a tiny little dick might as well be a clit, isn’t that right, baby? Does it feel good to have your alpha touch you here? What about these pretty pink nipples of yours? Can you feel those too?” He encouraged.

With another nod Louis whimpered and bit into his lip. With each touch, words grew more and more difficult to produce as Harry tore the stress and horror from his mind, leaving behind pink fog and sweet peaches.

“You’re such a good omega, my baby. So good for me and so pretty like this,” Harry purred, slow like molasses. He yanked Louis closer, tucking his hand underneath the lace panties and passing the boy’s dick to get to his leaking hole.

Slick coated his fingers as they ghosted over Louis’ fluttering rim. The sensation sent waves of desperation crashing through him as Louis nearly collapsed with the pleasure of it all. Luckily, Harry was quick to support Louis’ weight and used his grip around Louis’ waist to hold the boy against his chest as weak knees knocked together.

Although it had been a few days since Harry had been anywhere close to fucking Louis, his fingers slid in easily as he tucked his middle and ring finger into the wet and dripping hole that greeted him eagerly. With his hold on Louis, he hoisted the boy up until his toes were barely touching the ground and his head was resting against Harry’s shoulder.

Sweet whimpers and sighs filled the barn and fed his ego, pulling a smirk across his lips. “Focus on the feeling of my fingers inside you. How wet you are, dripping all over my hand and getting your panties so so wet, baby. Feel your pretty nipples getting hard and perky.”

Louis keened, shivers racing through his limbs. “Alpha,” he mewled and curled his toes, rocking back against Harry’s fingers. He felt exposed, being fingered in the middle of the barn without a bed or anything to lie on while Harry pleasured him. It was deliciously distracting to wipe away any other thoughts or worries.

Harry’s fingers were so rough from hard manual labor, the scratchiness of callouses rubbing his nipples and pinching at them spread a pink flush across his chest. His blue blouse with lemons on it slid down his shoulder, being held on his petite frame by only one shoulder and revealed his honey skin.

He was close already, Harry had always known how to get him wound up and on edge in a matter of minutes.

Fingers pumped in and out, one of Harry’s rings catching on Louis’ rim in a way that had melodic whimpers escaping him. He’d missed them, the girth of strong fingers fucking his hole and flicking his nipples. Instant regret for how he’d been treating Harry the past few days flickered through his mind until one particular scrape of Harry’s fingers drew a shattered moan from him.

“Alpha,” Louis cried out, rolling his hips desperately as he searched for more of Harry. He’d take anything he could get to just keep feeling this wonderful.

“You gonna cum for me, baby? I wanna see you cream those pretty panties of yours,” Harry grunted into Louis’ ear, nipping at his earlobe and dragging his teeth down the column of his strained neck. Kisses and little bruises littered down his neck like a beautiful masterpiece that deserved to be displayed proudly in every museum.

With a small cry, Louis reached back to clutch at the back of Harry’s neck in search of something, anything, to hold on to. His full hips ground down on Harry’s hand, riding the fingers that stuffed him full. They couldn’t quite reach that bundle of nerves deep inside him, but the fullness he felt and the catch on his rim was enough to have him spilling into his panties.

As Louis’ hips stuttered with his orgasm, Harry groaned and pressed his face to Louis’ scent gland, his own cock throbbing in his jeans and spurting into his boxers with the gyration of the omega against him. “Fuck, baby. Such a good boy,” he growled and scissored his fingers, fucking the omega through the waves of pleasure that cascaded over him.

Thick thighs trembled and his stomach muscles quivered as Louis panted breathlessly, his back arched and his head thrown back in ecstasy. An overwhelmed smile crept across swollen bitten lips as Louis humped against Harry’s arm and shook with sensitivity.

At last, Louis’ mind was so wonderfully empty and void of all memories or thoughts of previous events. His only thoughts were of his alpha with his strong chest, soothing scent, and skilled fingers. He wasn’t sure how long Harry held him there, but when long fingers extracted from his fluttering hole, a whimper fell from his lips and quirked down in a frown at the loss of feeling full.

With hazy blue eyes, Louis craned his neck to look up at his alpha and whine softly. “Alpha,” he mumbled and brought Harry’s fingers up to lick his slick and cum off them. His lashes fluttered as he hummed and suckled the wetness from Harry’s fingers.

Harry groaned and spun Louis around, pulling their chests together and pulling his fingers away to smash their mouths together. Teeth clacked together before Harry’s tongue slipped out and lathed over his slick-coated lips and delved inside the boy’s mouth to taste his omega’s sweetness. “Fuck. I love you. You’re so perfect,” he sighed happily and licked a drop of slick from Louis’ chin.

“Love you too,” Louis whispered with a languid smile. Warmth tingled down his back as he pressed closer and nuzzled his button nose against Harry’s chest, damp with sweat. His panties stuck to him, wet from cum and slick that Louis was too dazed to find uncomfortable.

Harry’s hand dragged up and down Louis’ back, cuddling his boy to his chest. His nose tucked against the scent of peaches, rubbing the smooth skin he found there as he spread his own scent of pine and smoked vanilla on the boy to properly scent him.

A pleasant hum rumbled in Louis’ chest like a kitten purring. He giggled as Harry grasped his thighs below the swell of his ass before being hoisted up. His legs wrapped around Harry’s trim hips and his arms draped over his shoulders. His limbs buzzed with sleepiness and his head felt light without the burden of anything else.

“Sweetheart?” Harry murmured, smiling at the soft hum he received from his omega. “I want to take you on a date.”

Louis’ back straightened and his eyes brightened at the proposal. “Really?”

Harry nodded and dragged his hand down Louis’ back. “Mhmm. I’d like to take you on a picnic.”

With a giggle, Louis hooked his ankles together and ran his fingers through Harry’s short curls. “That sounds lovely. I can’t believe we’ve never been on a date. Seems funny,” he hummed and rubbed his cheek against Harry’s affectionately.

“I know. I wish the courting process could have been a little more traditional so I could spoil you with gifts and romantic dates but now that I have you, I’ll spend every day making sure you’re showered in love,” Harry promised and hoisted Louis up a little higher before turning and slipping out of the barn to carry Louis back to the house for a shower to get them both cleaned up.

Louis smiled and watched over Harry’s shoulder as Kayah bounded after them, tripping over her paws as she leaped through the grass. Fondness bloomed in his chest as he watched the sweet pup’s silly antics. With a sound of contentment, Louis rested his head on Harry’s shoulder and traced a heart over the smaller mark on Harry’s neck from their bonding.

“Lou, come on. We are not taking her,” Harry sighed, slumping against the railing of the deck when Louis emerged with Kayah tucked into the crook of his arm and the picnic basket in the other.

Louis stared at Harry for a moment before laughing. “Of course we are,” he hummed and kissed between her ears with a bright smile. “We can’t go on a picnic without her.”

Harry frowned and took the picnic basket from Louis’ arms. “Baby, it’s a date. Let’s leave her here in the barn with the other animals,” he suggested.

A scowl crept across Louis’ features as anger simmered under his skin and itched to escape. “She’s my baby. I’m not leaving her behind,” he grit out, the one free hand he had fisting by his side. When Harry still looked hesitant, he straightened his back and stalked forward, thrusting his finger into the meaty muscle on Harry’s chest. “She is coming with us. I can’t leave her,” he insisted, a growl that Harry just found adorable rumbled in his chest.

Silence fell between them as Harry looked Louis up and down, debating on whether or not to cave to Louis’ wishes or stand firm in his resolve to have a romantic picnic date just the two of them.

“Fine. If you need her there, then we can bring her,” he finally sighed and turned to carry the basket to the horses and strapped it to Jackson.

Louis took a deep breath to calm his remaining frustration and shook the aggravation from his shoulders. “Come on, little one. Your daddy and I are gonna take you on a picnic,” he cooed to the small wolf and nuzzled her lovingly before tucking her into the saddle bag.

He missed the way Harry’s muscled tensed in his shoulders and a pained expression flickered across his face before he managed to wipe the pain away. He missed the look of hurt and longing that remained in pools of green. He missed the shaky breath Harry had to take before turning to the omega with a fake smile plastered to his face.

“Ready?” Harry asked and reached for the leather reins dangling from Jackson’s neck.

With a nod, Louis hoisted himself up onto the saddle on Libby’s back and stroked a gentle hand over her shoulder before straightening up. “Ready,” he confirmed and clicked his tongue to urge the appaloosa forward.

Harry rode in the opposite direction of both Falcon’s Cove and Churchill, keeping an eye on Louis but allowing his mind to wander.

He had thought he was doing well with accepting their future of no children, but hearing Louis refer to him as a daddy and speaking to Kayah like she was his child had set an ache in Harry’s heart that wasn’t quick to go away. His heart squeezed painfully as he thought about the future they didn’t get to have. A future without small pudgy hands wrapping around fingers or gleeful giggles that echoed through their home.

It hurt to know that a part of his very nature had to be ignored and locked away, never to see the light of day. But as he looked over at his omega, he knew the boy was worth it. His sweet smiles and soft blue eyes were enough for Harry, though they weren’t able to completely erase the pain that lingered in his bones.

His only hope was that someday, whether that be months or years, he would be able to forget about having babies and the pain would fade slowly until there was none left.

The ride was a silent one, with Louis focused on the scenery as they traveled through rocky terrain and Harry not fully present with the whispers of babies and family fogging his mind. He’d hardly realized they had arrived at their destination until they broke through the pines and emerged to the sight of sloping mountains that took Louis’ breath away.

Louis stared in awe up at the towering peaks cloaked in clouds, his eyes bright and sparkling in the rays of the sun that warmed his golden honey skin. His breathless laugh tumbled from his lips in glee as he took in the most breathtaking sight he had ever seen.

While Louis stared at the mountains, Harry slid from his seat and tied Jackson’s lead to a stump, giving him enough room to move around and graze on the fresh green grass that carpeted the clearing in lush green blades. The woven blanket Harry had packed in the basket was draped over a soft patch of ground, the yellow threads bright and cheerful welcoming them in.

By the time Harry had set up all the food and laid out the dishes, Louis had secured Libby next to Jackson and let Kayah free from her carrier to run around the clearing. His legs tucked beneath him daintily and his napkin was placed across his legs to catch any fallout.

“Thanks for doing this, Harry,” Louis murmured and offered his alpha a fond smile, swiping his fringe out of his eyes.

Harry nodded and sat down next to Louis, leaning in and pressed a kiss to Louis’ cheekbone in a soft brush of lips. “Of course, baby. I thought it would be good for us both,” he agreed and handed Louis one of the sandwiches he had packed, having made sure not to include any mustard lest he risk another one of Louis’ meltdowns.

The omega unwrapped his sandwich carefully and took one of the triangles, his sandwich cut diagonally just like he liked it while Harry’s was cut in half horizontally in rectangles. Harry watched as Louis brought the sandwich to his lips and nibbled on the corner of it, relieved when Louis smiled and munched away happily.

Harry grabbed a few blueberries from the linen cloth they were wrapped in and popped them in his mouth, a sigh of contentment filling the space between them as he relaxed against the yellow blanket. A warm breeze filtered through the pine trees behind them and ruffled through Louis’ hair, sending soft wisps floating around his head like a halo.

When Kayah’s wet nose nudged against Harry’s hand, the alpha glanced at Louis. Finding that the omega wasn’t watching him, he fed her a blueberry and allowed the corner of his lips to quirk up. He gave her another one that she gobbled up happily before taking a bite of his own sandwich, mustard and all.

Harry pillowed his head with one arm and watched the birds that flit through the branches above them, listening to their song as the skies dripped from blue to orange.

Louis gazed up at the mountains as he nibbled on his sandwich, his soul feeling soothed in the evening light. After his release earlier, his body felt pleasantly heavy and warm, like he was wrapped in a weighted blanket. With his wolf pup by his side and his alpha reclined next to him, he felt whole and his heart purred with love and adoration.

In that moment, he knew he would look back on that day and remember it for the rest of his life. The moment he was most content, and bliss filled him up to bursting. He was almost able to forget about the state of the world, wrapped up in the beauty of the mountains and the fresh spring air that had him high on the change of seasons. Moments like this were relatively rare and Louis had learned to savor each second. To close his eyes and capture the moment to revisit later.

“Babe?” Harry’s voice broke the silence.

Louis peeked over his shoulder and smiled as Harry gestured him closer. He wiped the remaining crumbs from his fingers and crawled over to his alpha, slotting himself between his legs with his back pressed to Harry’s chest. Strong arms looped around his waist and Harry’s chin hooked over his shoulder, supporting Louis’ weight as they gazed at the sun setting behind the mountains.

“I know things have been hard the past few days. I’m sorry for putting you in a situation that put your life at risk. I wish I could go back in time and keep you at home while I went to town. You should have been safe.”

Louis frowned and craned his neck back to look at Harry. “H, it’s not your fault that those people found us. You couldn’t have known they were going to be there or come after us.”

“No, my love. I should have been able to keep you safe. It pains me to know that what happened still hurts you. It’s my fault that you still don’t feel safe,” Harry mumbled and stroked his hand over Louis’ tummy.

“Who says I don’t feel safe at home? I never once said that.”

“You didn’t have to. I know you’ve been angry and frustrated with me lately. I should have been a better alpha and it’s my fault you had to experience that trauma.”

Harry’s eyes were heavy with sadness and deep regret that weighed him down like he had a lead blanket draped over him.

Louis turned in Harry’s lap and straddled his hips, combing his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry I’ve been so moody. I don’t know why. One minute I feel fine and then something happens and I just get angry and I feel my whole body get hot and itchy. I’m sorry I’ve been taking it out on you, I just can’t seem to control my mood,” he sighed and nibbled on his bottom lip.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ve seen it before. A lot of victims of trauma can have a hard time controlling their emotions. When you go through something like that, it can put you on edge. Even the smallest thing can make a victim angry. I’ve seen victims who get very particular and everything needs to be perfect, if something isn’t exactly the way they want it, they get angry or frustrated. It’s okay to deal with this. You don’t have to feel ashamed of this. We’ll get through this together,” Harry promised and kissed Louis’ wrist softly.

Louis chewed on the information, his eyes downcast and his lip pinched between his teeth. “I’m just sorry I’ve been so mean to you. You’re trying, I know you are.”

“Just talk with me, sweetheart. When you’re feeling like that, communicate with me and we can talk things through. Counselors aren’t a thing anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t talk to someone about how you feel. I’ll always be here for you in any way that I can be.”

A small shy smile flickered over Louis’ lips as he nodded and tucked himself closer to Harry. “Okay. I will,” he promised and nuzzled close as he pressed a kiss to Harry’s collarbone. “I love you.”

Warm circles rubbed between his shoulders. “I know, my sweet boy. I love you too, more than anything,” Harry whispered. “My sweet, lovely baby.”

Louis purred softly and shifted in Harry’s lap to watch the watercolors of pink, orange, and purple paint the sky. Behind them, he could hear birds sing and crickets chirp their spring song of new beginnings. Like a new day was coming and the coldness of winter would soon be forgotten.

“I wish the world was a better place,” Louis admitted after a few quiet minutes.

Harry hummed and looked down at his boy. “Hmm?”

“It’s just. People are so awful now. It’s like civilization has taken a hundred steps back. These rogue alphas view omegas like pieces of meat. Like we’re a possession that they can just take. They think that they can capture us and own us - like we’re not actual people with real feelings. It’s scary,” Louis whispered, his small fingers playing with the gold ring on Harry’s finger.

It broke Harry’s heart. Louis was right, these rogues were looking for omegas to steal and use with no regard to the omegas. They didn’t care that they were hurting the omegas, they just wanted to take and take until there was nothing left.

“I wish that we could change that. I don’t know how, but I think I want to try to do something to make the world a better place. If people let this continue, there is no future for omegas. It’ll go right back to omegas being property that can just be stolen, hurt, and used. I just wish I could do something to stop it,” Louis admitted with a heavy sigh.

Orange melted into purple, hues of indigo speckled with the shining stars filled the air above their heads.

“I’m so sorry, my baby. I wish we could do something to stop it. I wish I could get rid of the danger, but I can’t. The most I can do is do everything in my power to keep you from being faced with that evil.” Harry’s words were barely above a whisper, like the moment was fragile and could break at any moment.

“We’re going to change it someday. We have to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of a shorter chapter, but let me know what you thought!


	14. Chapter 14

Louis winced as he bent over the sprouting peas, his stomach rolling. “Fuck,” he whimpered and rested a hand on his tummy as he sank to his knees. Acid burned in his throat. With the back of his hand over his mouth, Louis shut his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose for a few moments.

The deep breaths through his nose helped to ease the discomfort of his aching stomach and the heat that lingered in his cheeks and had sweat dripping down his back. He let out a soft grunt and wiped his brow with the pink t-shirt that clung to his sticky back.

Ever since he had woken up this morning, his stomach had been churning uncomfortably and his head felt like it was stuffed full of cotton. In short, he felt like absolute shit.

Harry had been a little busy, so Louis wasn’t sure the alpha actually knew how he had been feeling for the past few hours. He was preoccupied with the fencing that had grown weak and broken on the far side of Libby and Jackson’s enclosure.

While Harry was busy, Louis had busied himself with weeding the growing garden. So far, the peas and carrots were taking off but he was beginning to see the first few sprouts of the strawberry plants pushing through the soil.

Throughout the day, Louis had been having waves of nausea that would creep up on him and gnaw at his stomach. The chills had been setting into his bones, keeping him at a constant back and forth from being too warm and freezing cold within only a few minutes.

When the nausea passed Louis sighed and got back to his feet, brushing the dirt off his knees. He adjusted his shorts and wiggled as he pulled them up and re-tucked his pink tee into the waistband at the front.

He made quick work of pulling out the remaining weeds and carefully watered the little sprouts, being mindful not to drown them as they were still fragile and needed nurturing. A frustrated growl reverberated in his chest as small wolf paws pranced through his garden.

“Kayah!” Louis barked out, frowning down at her as she romped through the mud. His hands planted on his hips, glaring down at her with a disapproving look.

Her head cocked to the side, her tail sweeping through the dirt as she sat on top of the carrots. Her eyes shined up at him and her tongue rolled out the side of her mouth as she looked up at Louis happily.

Louis huffed and bent to scoop her up, letting out a frustrated noise as she sprung away from his hands. “Kayah, we are not playing a game. Get out of my garden!”

The small pup crouched down, leaving her hindquarters in the air as she wiggled playfully, inviting Louis to come play with her.

“Listen, little missy!” Louis frowned and pointed a finger at her. “You better stay out of my garden otherwise I’ll make you sleep out in the barn with the chickens,” he threatened, though there was no real weight behind his words.

In reality, Kayah was his baby. Every night, she got to sleep in their bed with him and Harry, usually nuzzled up to Louis’ tummy or curled under his chin. At meals, she usually sat beneath Louis’ feet and waited for scraps to be tossed her way. Louis would never make her sleep out in the barn, though it did make him feel a bit better to at least threaten her.

“Kayah, out!” Louis demanded firmly, pointing away from his garden towards the cabin.

Kayah yipped happily and sprung to her feet, bolting in the opposite direction towards the horses’ enclosure.

With a roll of his eyes, Louis sighed and pulled off his gardening gloves. At least she wasn’t in his garden anymore. He tossed his purple gloves in the gardening tools bucket and hauled it to the barn to store it.

When he stepped into the barn, he waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness that filled the barn. As his eyes adjusted, he took in the empty stalls. Now that the weather was much warmer, the sheep and cows were moved out to the pasture to graze with the horses. The only thing left in the barn were supplies and feed for the animals. Connected to the side of the barn was the chicken coup that could be accessed from the barn to collect eggs.

Louis lugged the bucket over to the wall and tucked it underneath the small workbench where Harry’s construction tools were stored. He wiped his hands off on the towel dangling from the hook on the workbench.

His eyes fell on the only photo that he had ever seen of Harry’s. It was a small photo of crappy quality that was a little grainy, but Louis could still make out a younger Harry posed with another young man in matching police uniforms. Harry had revealed the photo a few months ago, showing Louis what Zac had looked like and Louis just wished he could have had the opportunity to get to know the man. He had such a major impact on Harry and he seemed like a genuinely good man. He was grateful that Harry had him as an influence and close friend growing up. He just wished Harry had people close to him still.

Louis offered the photo a smile and hummed as he turned away, making his way back out of the barn. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes and winced at the blinding sunshine. He let out a soft sigh and trudged towards the cabin to start on some dinner. Harry would be taking a break soon and Louis wanted lunch to be ready and waiting for him.

The door slammed shut behind him, startling the napping wolf pup on the front deck from her slumber. With a yip, she scurried over to the front door and scratched her paws against the wood, most likely leaving marks in the wood.

“Kayah,” Louis scolded with a soft smile, pushing the door open a crack to let her in. “Your daddy’s not going to like that you’re leaving scratches in the door.”

Louis giggled when a small pink tongue lapped at his ankle. He bent and swiftly scooped Kayah up into his arms, kissing her snout and nuzzling his nose between her ears affectionately. He hummed softly, a lullaby that he thinks his own mother sang to him when he was young.

His body swayed lightly on his trip to the kitchen, cradling Kayah against his chest. Her tongue licked at his collarbones, lapping at his salty skin. “You weirdo,” he snickered and scratched behind her ears as he pulled out a cutting board and a knife. “Guess that means I need a shower. Must be stinky.”

The wolf pup wriggled in his grasp, yipping as she struggled to get out of his grasp.

“Okay, okay.” Louis rolled his eyes and leaned down to release her from his grip, watching her pad out of the kitchen with her nose glued to the floor.

He turned back to the counter and grabbed an onion from the bowl of other roots and vegetables that kept a little better than fleshier veggies. He grabbed a head of garlic and a few stalks of celery for the roasted skillet he was planning on making, continuing to hum the lullaby.

Louis could hear in the distance the sound of the horses neighing and the door of the barn shut with a loud thud, the sound carrying all the way to the kitchen. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes lightly at how noisy and abrupt Harry was.

A light sigh flowed from his lips as he peeled the outer layer of the onion off and tossed it in the compost pail. He scrunched his nose up at the smell of strong onion and sliced through the layers of the onion. The rich pungent odor was stronger than Louis felt it normally was, holding his breath as he chopped the onion up into chunks that he would later cook down.

Nausea bubbled in his stomach, but Louis ignored it as best he could. He just wanted to get lunch started for Harry but the odor of onion and now garlic was tugging at his guts. Louis blinked back the tears in his eyes from cutting the onion and took a deep breath through his mouth and out his nose in an attempt to calm his tummy.

It was no use, as soon as he added the garlic and onion to the skillet of hot oil his stomach rolled and squeezed painfully.

Louis’ hand flew to his lips as bile rose in his throat. If he could speak without spewing everywhere, he would have uttered multiple curse words. The omega backed away from the stove and as he took another breath of strong pungent smells, his eyes bulged and he scurried towards the bathroom.

Harry hummed to himself as he put away his tools, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he dropped his hammer and a saw into the toolbox. His eyes squint into the sun as he uses its position in the sky to gauge the time. Smoke billows around him with the slow exhale from his lips, the nicotine keeping him calm and relaxed.

He knew smoking wasn’t good for him, so he did his best not to smoke often. Before Louis was in his life, he smoked more frequently without a care in the world about his health or life expectancy. If he were to be completely honest, he almost would have been completely fine with dying young and not living a lonely life by himself in the middle of nowhere.

But when Louis came along everything had changed. At first, it was just the sense of responsibility that motivated Harry to stay alive. He felt the need to protect Louis as the only alpha around, his biology had screamed at him to take care of the boy and he needed to be healthy in order to do that. That instinct to protect the omega had morphed to love and it was no longer about simply caring for him.

Now, it was about wanting to be around for Louis. Their future mattered to him now, and he didn’t want to ever leave his boy on his own. He wanted to get to live the rest of his life in love with Louis, growing to know more about him with each passing day and falling more and more in love with him.

A soft smile flickered across his lips at the thought of growing old with his mate. Warmth spread through his chest and his heart swelled affectionately. He dropped his cigarette to the dirt outside the barn, stepping on the butt to stub out the embers.

He ran his fingers through the sweaty curls that stuck to his forehead and wiped the sweat from his brow as wandered inside to find Louis.

It didn’t take but one step into the cabin to know that something was wrong. Distress filled the air and hung heavily like a low fog in their home. Sour peaches and burnt sugar coated Harry’s lungs as he inhaled and it set his stomach uneasily.

“Lou?” Harry called out, kicking off his boots before running towards the bathroom where he could hear soft whimpers and whining.

There his boy lay, arms hugging around his tummy and his sweaty cheek pressed to the cool tiles in their bathroom. His skin was pale and clammy, a sheen of cold sweat like a layer of film over the frail boy.

“Oh, baby,” Harry murmured, frown lines carving deep into his forehead. “Sweet boy, what’s wrong?” He asked softly and crouched on the floor next to his boy, tenderly stroking his fingers over Louis’ cheek.

Louis’ lower lip trembled as he curled into a small ball, sniffling wetly. “Tummy hurts.”

Harry hummed understandingly and reached up onto the countertop for a washcloth, wetting it and bringing it to Louis’ face to wipe the sick from his chin. “My poor little peach.”

The worried wrinkles between Louis’ brow disappeared as his alpha took care of cleaning him up, leaving him feeling warmer and calming the headache that was forming between his temples. The cool tiles on his bare skin tampered his high temperature and helped to ease the nauseous twist in his tummy.

Long fingers combed through his damp fringe, pushing the strands away from his forehead. “That’s a good boy. Just breathe, my love. I’ll take care of you,” Harry promised and pressed a wet cloth to Louis’ forehead and neck.

Louis offered a weak smile before his guts were twisting again, his eyes squeezing shut. His jaw clenched tightly to try to hold back his sick before it became too much and shot to his knees, leaning over the toilet as he emptied the contents of his stomach.

“Let it out. It’s okay,” Harry sighed and rubbed a comforting hand down the omega’s back. “You’ll feel better soon. Just let it out.”

It hurt to see his love like this, worn out and weak. It was odd, it almost seemed to come out of nowhere, like suddenly Louis just wasn’t feeling well despite seeming okay the day before.

Louis’ shoulders shook and his fingers trembled as he reached up to wipe his mouth with a grimace. “Harry,” he whimpered and rested his head on his arm, still feeling on the edge of being sick again.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. Once you feel okay enough, we’ll lay you down and get some soup for that tummy of yours. Just do what you have to do,” Harry whispered and massaged the knots between Louis’ shoulders.

Louis shook his head and frowned, looking over his shoulder at Harry. “The onions. They made me sick. Don’t want onions,” he sniffled and clutched at his tummy.

Harry nodded and kissed Louis’ forehead. “No onions then,” he decided and brushed the sweaty fringe from Louis’ clammy skin.

Silence fell over them as Louis curled up on the cold tile, keeping his eyes closed as he focused on breathing through the nausea. Time seemed to slow as Louis lay on the floor, his mind full of wishing that he felt better and his stomach in knots.

As Louis’ tummy twisted and gurgled, Harry cradled Louis’ head in his lap and ran his fingers through his hair. Soft words formed on his lips as he sang quietly to his boy, lulling him into a sleepy state as they waited out Louis’ churning guts.

It could have been anywhere from only twenty minutes to an hour, Louis had no idea. At some point, he felt as though his stomach had emptied and the nausea that had settled in his bones had now eased. His frail body was scooped up before being tucked between soft sheets and a thick quilt.

Warm lips pressed to his forehead and Harry’s fingers squeezed his hand before he slipped from the bedroom. Left alone in their bedroom, Louis curled up on his side and tucked his knees up to his chest. The tears that he had shed in the bathroom were dried on his cheeks, leaving trails down his cold and clammy skin.

Louis eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep, his head throbbing and his bones weary from the stress of being sick. His body was tired and the rest was greatly needed to restore his health.

While he slept, Harry stored away the onions and garlic that had made Louis feel so sick. He placed them in a plastic bag and set them in the fridge before resuming Louis’ work of chopping up some celery along with a few carrots. He didn’t want to make anything that would make Louis’ stomach hurt or set off his nausea, so he got to work preparing a pot of chicken noodle soup. He hoped the flavor wouldn’t be too strong, he just knew he needed to get some food into the omega and soup would help to hydrate him after losing the contents of his stomach earlier.

As he sautéed the celery and cooked down the carrots, Kayah pawed at his jeans and whined. Her head tilted to the side and her fluffy tail tucked between her legs as she stared up at Harry.

“What?” Harry muttered, nudging the wolf pup away from his feet.

Kayah snuffled and nipped at his ankle, yipping defiantly.

“Stop it. Louis is trying to sleep.”

When the wolf pup merely looked up at him indignantly, determination evident in her eyes. She growled and crouched down next to Harry as if she was trying to intimidate him.

Harry sighed and shook his head, turning back to the pot on the stove as he scraped the bottom of the stock pot with a wooden spoon. The celery and carrots were beginning to soften nicely, so Harry placed another pan on the stove and placed a chicken breast in the pan along with a drizzle of olive oil and a few spices.

The warm aroma of oregano and thyme wafted through the air, hopefully not too strong to hurt Louis’ tummy more. Typically, Harry would add onion and garlic to the soup for added flavor, but he’d leave it out to take it easy on the boy’s stomach.

Another small bark sounded from the wolf pup as she stalked over to the bedroom door, whining and scratching at the door.

“Kayah, no. Louis needs to rest,” Harry groaned and set down the spoon before walking over to the pup and scooping her up. “I know I’m not as fun as he is, but you’re just going to have to settle for me while he sleeps. You can see him when he wakes up.”

The small pup wriggled in Harry’s grip, gnawing playfully at Harry’s fingers as he held onto her. Harry grunted and pulled his hand away. “You’re a terror, aren’t you?”

Harry sighed and scratched behind her ears as he returned to his position in front of the stove. He just hoped Kayah would behave for him while Louis napped, he didn’t want the boy to be woken up or disturbed when he needed to rest to gain his strength and feel better.

Eventually, she calmed down enough to relax in his hold and stop trying to nibble on his fingers. She yawned and flexed her toes before resting her head on Harry’s arm, watching the movement of his free hand stirring the veggies and turning the chicken in the pan while it cooks.

When the chicken was cooked through and the veggies were soft enough for Louis’ delicate stomach, Harry pulled out the chicken and shredded the white meat with some difficulty considering he only had one available hand. He had tried to put the wolf down at one point, but she became rowdy again and wouldn’t settle down unless she was being held and getting some attention.

It took nearly an hour, but Harry finally had the soup assembled and simmering on the stove. He turned the stovetop on low to keep the soup hot while Louis slept. In the meantime, Harry plopped down on the couch with Kayah still in his arms. The soft little pup wiggled closer as Harry stretched out his legs with a book in his hand. Her head tucked into the crook of his arm and her tail curled around her as she laid in a little ball.

Her warm weight settled on top of Harry brought a slow smile to his lips that he tried to bite back. Her cold wet nose snuffled against his forearm and tickled his skin as she sniffed around. She eventually mellowed out, a tiny snore echoing through the cabin when she finally fell asleep.

Harry read a few chapters of the latest book he had brought home with him after a supply run, taking his time so as not to rush through the novel and run out of things to read. Usually, Harry would read with Louis perched in his lap and they would read the book together. Louis was a quick reader, but he was always willing to wait until Harry caught up with him before turning the page. They typically only read a chapter at a time, trying to savor the book.

Harry’s scratched behind Kayah’s ears distractedly as he read, startled out of his trance as a small voice called out for him. Upon hearing the weak ‘Harry’ that came from the bedroom, the alpha nudged the wolf out of his lap and got to his feet.

His head poked into the room and he sighed at the sight of a whimpering Louis bundled up in blankets like a burrito. “Hey, little Peach. How are you feeling?” Harry murmured and stepped into the bedroom, Kayah at his heels.

Pale pink lips pouted as Louis looked up at Harry and made grabby hands at him. “Alpha,” he whimpered and wiggled free of his bundle of blankets.

“My lovely boy,” Harry sighed and climbed onto the bed, laying a gentle kiss to his forehead. He frowned at how hot his skin felt. “You ready to eat something?”

Louis nodded and fisted Harry’s t-shirt in his tiny hand. “Yeah. Don’t think I’ll puke it up just yet,” he sighed and nuzzled his nose into the gland on Harry’s neck. The pine and slight citrus scent calmed his stomach and eased his aching body a little.

“Okay. I’ll go get you some soup,” Harry hummed and pressed a line of kisses from Louis’ forehead to his pouted lips before he dragged himself away from his sweet little mate to retrieve food. He made quick work of it and it was only a few minutes before he was able to return to Louis’ side with two bowls of steaming soup in hand.

The sight that greeted him when he came back to the room melted his heart. His small boy had scooted himself up against the headboard with his knees tucked up towards his chest and the small wolf cuddled against his beating heart.

A soft, fond smile crept across his features as he watched Louis stroke Kayah’s back and whisper something to her. Whatever he was saying, it seemed to make the pup wag her tail and lick his chin lovingly. It was sweet to watch Louis with her, like he finally had something to take care of and nurture given the fact that he would never be able to have children.

Harry stepped into Louis’ sight and offered a reassuring grin. “Your girl is needy,” he noted and carefully seated himself next to Louis, holding the bowls of soup steady as he shuffled into bed.

“Thank you, H,” Louis mumbled, his voice sore from the burn in his throat. He accepted the porcelain and cradled it in small hands as he inhaled the steam. He received a nod from his alpha and a kiss on the temple in return.

The warm broth helped soothe his throat and the noodles and veggies settled in his stomach, helping ease the ache that lingered.

He ate in relative silence, too exhausted and worn out to speak much. When he managed to finish off almost all of his soup, Harry took the bowl from him and set it on the bedside table. With warm and welcoming arms, he pulled the omega into his chest and nuzzled his nose into the sweaty hair atop Louis’ head.

“Aren’t you gonna get sick too?” Louis croaked, rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

“Nah. Alpha immune system,” Harry explained with a shrug.

Louis rolled his eyes and wiggled closer to Harry, cuddling up against his bare chest that still smelled a bit like sweat and wood from working on the fence. “Fucking alphas.”

Harry chuckled softly and resumed playing with Louis’ hair. “You should try to get some more rest, baby. You’ll feel better more quickly if you get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water.”

Louis nodded once more, cradling Kayah between his and Harry’s chest as she licked at his chin. It was only a matter of minutes before he was slipping back into the lull of sleep, cocooned in blankets with his two favorite beings in the whole world.

Harry was getting mildly worried. Louis had been sick now for almost a week and just when Harry started to think maybe Louis was feeling better, the omega would feel sick again and throw up whatever he had eaten for breakfast and lunch. He had thought this tummy bug would last just a few days, but now they were on the sixth day of Louis not feeling well.

The little omega slept for the majority of his day and read a book or worked on knitting and crocheting when he was awake. He hardly ever left their room, the smells of the kitchen or odors coming from the animals too much for his delicate stomach.

While Louis slept, Kayah had taken to following Harry around every time he went outside. When he would go out to the barn to feed the animals, the little pup would trot along behind him and follow his every step. As much as Harry hated to admit at first, she was beginning to grow on him.

Kayah would sit on the front deck and look out across the forest, watching with focused gray eyes as she took in her surroundings like she was studying the lay of the land. Harry had learned that she was fiercely protective of their home, growling at the chickens when they got out of the coop and wandered too close to the house.

At night she would cycle between sprawling out by their feet, sitting guard at the door, and curling up tucked against Louis’ back or between the alpha and omega. Her constant affection blended with a certain fierceness that Harry could appreciate. She was like a blend of both Harry and Louis.

As he shut the door behind him to let Louis sleep after giving him a bit of soup for a late lunch, Harry whistled for Kayah and listened as her nails clicked against the floor. He grabbed a mason jar of water and carried it outside to get to work tending the garden. He’d taken over most of Louis’ responsibilities while the boy was under the weather and he had found that he spent almost all of his time outside taking care of the animals, tending the garden, fixing fences, and foraging. He didn’t mind, but he didn’t have as much free time to watch over Louis as he’d like.

Kayah barked as she ran towards the horses, growling at something that Harry couldn’t yet see. Her hackles were raised and her tail that usually wouldn’t stop moving was stick straight in the air.

“What is it, girl?” Harry asked and followed her towards the fenced in enclosure the horses were in. He watched as she yipped and growled angrily, running straight to a bush.

He walked a few steps closer, Kayah snarling as she hunched down. The long grass rustled and a squatty gray animal crawled out of the bush, scurrying away from Kayah and away from the horses. Harry smirked as her barks warded off the badger and squatted down next to her.

“Good girl. That’s my good girl,” he murmured and scratched behind her ears with a proud smile stretched across his lips.

He gave her an approving pat on the back and snapped his fingers for her to follow. Badgers were becoming a bit of a problem lately. They had found the compost pile Harry had started a good distance from the cabin. He had made sure it was far enough away from the cabin that they couldn’t smell it and wild animals would, for the most part, stay away. The badgers had found it though, and badgers were dangerous for the horses. They bit at the horses’ ankles and were known for carrying rabies, so Harry was proud of his girl for scaring it off and protecting the horses.

He wasn’t quite sure when Kayah became ‘his girl’ but that was neither here nor there.

Harry’s rut was coming up and he had always thought he would be excited for getting to experience a rut with a mate. He’d always heard that ruts and heats were actually enjoyable once you were mated. The overwhelming need for more, the itch under your skin, and the heat that burned and singed in your belly, all of them were soothed by knowing that your needs and desires would be taken care of by your mate.

He wanted to look forward to rut with Louis, but he was worried that the boy would still be sick. He only had a few days before his rut was expected and as much as he wanted to lose himself to his rut, he couldn’t bear to hurt Louis. With the way things were going, concern nipped at his mind over how weak Louis already was.

The constant vomiting had Louis’ limbs shaking and his head throbbing nearly all day long. It was getting a bit frustrating, trying to find food that didn’t make Louis sick. So far, Louis had only been able to keep down some bread and occasionally some broth. After each meal, Harry just waited for Louis to get sick again and he’d crouch down next to him and rub circles into his back or brush back his hair.

It hurt to see his boy in pain and his heart ached every time Louis would look at him with those sad eyes. He wouldn’t be able to even think about his rut or getting hard with Louis so sad and miserable.

Harry sighed as he wiped the dirt from his hands and smeared the soil on the back pockets of his jeans. With the back of his hand, he mopped up the film of sweat sticking to his skin. The hot sun beat down on him and the light breeze graced his skin.

Hours later, Louis shuffled out of the bedroom with his tummy growling. He hadn’t seen Harry in a few hours so he padded into the living room, his sweater hanging off his petite frame like an oversized dress that reeked of Harry’s alpha scent. Rubbing his eyes with his sweater-covered fists, he peered around blearily and smiled as his eyes caught on Harry.

The alpha was passed out on the couch, his long limbs hanging over the edge of the couch. What had Louis’ heart squeezing fondly was the small wolf pup that was curled up on Harry’s chest. Kayah’s nose was pressed into the t-shirt stretched over Harry’s broad chest and the alpha’s hand was resting on her back to hold her close.

Louis giggled as Harry snorted in his sleep, his mouth opening and closing as he shifted and grunted. With silent socked feet, Louis crept closer and rested a clammy hand on Harry’s shoulder.

Harry jolted as Louis’ gentle touch pulled him from sleep, his hand pulling Kayah closer to him until he realized Louis was watching him. He cleared his throat with a grunt and looked down at the sleeping wolf pup bashfully.

“You’re cute,” Louis croaked and leaned down to nuzzle his nose against Harry’s hair. “I thought you didn’t like her.”

Harry grumbled and pulled himself up into a sitting position, shrugging his shoulders as he scratched her behind her ears. “How are you feeling?”

Louis smiled at Harry’s attempt to divert his attention from the affection the alpha was showing Kayah. “Okay at the moment. Stomach feels fine for now, I guess.”

He pulled the sleeves of the sweater he borrowed from Harry over his hands and shuffled closer, asking permission to sit in Harry’s lap. When the alpha nodded and maneuvered Kayah to be tucked against his side, Louis climbed into Harry’s warm embrace and nestled close.

A heavy hand dragged up and down his back, up and down, up and down. The movement had Louis’ lids growing heavy and a little yawn escaped his lips.

“Tired still?” Harry asked. He could feel the stress and tension leave the boy’s body as he welcomed the scent of his alpha and allowed his presence to soothe his soul.

Louis shrugged and played with the cross necklace that dangled from Harry’s neck, twisting the gold chain between his fingers and watching it gleam under the candlelight that filled the small cabin. “Just my body is tired. ‘S exhausting to be constantly puking. I hate it. And I miss being able to go outside and I miss having sex with you.”

A small smirk toyed at Harry’s lips as he ran the palm of his hand up Louis’ spine. “I miss it too. But you’re not feeling well and you need rest. As soon as you’re feeling better I’ll keep you locked on my knot all day, if that makes you feel any better.”

Louis pouted and shoved his face into Harry’s neck. It certainly did not make him feel better. He wanted sex and he’d felt the tingles of horniness every once in a while but his body was screaming at him to take it easy and he knew better than to ignore the cues his body was sending him. He supposed he did have something to look forward to though, once he finally felt better.

“Speaking of sex,” Harry trailed off, his hand pausing on Louis’ back. The omega looked up at him curiously and tilted his head slightly in the way that always had Harry’s heart melting a little. “I um. I’m supposed to start my rut in a few days. We don’t have to plan anything yet, but I think we should start thinking about how we’re going to handle it.”

“You can fuck me through it,” Louis offered, though he was wary of how much he would be able to take in his weakened state.

“Lou baby, no. I can’t fuck you through it if you’re sick. You need rest and I don’t even know if in the throws of rut I’ll be able to get it up if I know you don’t feel good or aren’t enjoying it too. I won’t do that to you,” Harry sighed and rested his hands on Louis’ hips. “I want our first rut as mates to be special, and that means not hurting you while you’re sick. I can spend my rut by myself for a few days and then we can enjoy the next one that comes around together.”

An unsatisfied whine fell from Louis’ lips as he frowned and stared at Harry. “But H, I want to spend it with you. It’s not fair,” he huffed.

“I know it’s not, baby. This is the hand we were dealt though. We have the entire rest of our lives to go through my ruts as mates, it’ll be okay if you sit this one out. Somebody has to take care of Kayah, anyways,” Harry hummed and glanced down at the snoozing wolf that was laying on her back with her tail tucked between her legs to cover her cold belly.

“I hate being sick,” Louis muttered and crossed his arms grumpily.

It was cute, if Harry was being honest. The boy got so huffy and pouty and it reminded Harry of a cat that was annoyed at having to get a bath. With a fond smile, his hand came up and cupped Louis’ cheek.

The omega let out a sigh and dropped his arms. “I’m hungry.”

Those two words were all it took for Harry to scoop Louis up, holding his small body against his chest as he carried him to the kitchen to warm up some broth. The content purr that vibrated against the palm of his hand that was on Louis’ back had his alpha heart swelling with pride.

When the food was ready, Harry sat down on the couch with Louis still straddling his hips. He studied Louis’ sleepy blinks and the fluffy mess of hair that left Louis looking a little scruffy and sleep tousled. He lifted the spoon of broth to his own lips and blew on it before bringing it to Louis’ mouth and carefully feeding it to him.

Taking care of Louis felt so right. He knew that Louis liked to be the nurturing one while Harry was the protector, but it felt good to get to coddle Louis and care for him like this. Spoon after spoon Harry blew on the soup to cool it down before feeding it to the small omega perched on his lap. A cloud of peaches descended upon them as Louis reveled in being so well taken care of, of having an alpha that took care of his every need and looked out for him without being afraid of his masculinity being questioned.

It was perfect, to be curled back up in bed with his boy a few hours later with Kayah at their feet and Louis’ hair tickling his nose. As hard as it was to have Louis not feeling well, Harry had to admit that he was appreciating getting to baby Louis a little. It was lovely and warm, like a warm apple pie fresh from the oven. It was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the last week has been a fucking mess for me. Work has been really stressful and past issues I've had with disordered eating tendencies were triggered and my birthday was this week so I didn't have much time to work on this. I sincerely hope you enjoy it anyways.

It took almost six more days for the nausea to dissipate. Louis felt like he had been sick for weeks and it was really grating on his nerves. He was just beginning to wake up and no longer feel like he immediately needed to empty his stomach. If he ate strong foods, he still felt the rumblings of nausea gurgling in his belly so he had taken to sticking to bland foods that wouldn’t make him sick.

Harry really had been great through it all. He would cuddle Louis until he fell asleep, cook for him when he felt too sick to get up, and feed him when he was too tired to feed himself. Louis’ little omega heart preened every time Harry would curl up around him and hold him or he’d sit Louis in his lap and feed him his lunch spoon by spoon.

Now that he could keep his lunches down, he had thrown himself back into going on walks and taking care of the garden. Harry made sure he took it easy, constantly reminding him to take breaks and bringing him water and crackers while he worked in the garden.

Louis stepped out of the shower and wrapped himself in a fluffy pink towel, burrowing his nose in the fabric as he closed his eyes and hummed to himself. His toes curled into the fabric of the bathmat and he swayed from side to side as he allowed the towel to soak up the beads of water that littered his skin.

When he opened his eyes, Louis used the fabric of the towel to wipe off the fogged up mirror to reveal his reflection looking back at himself. The omega dropped the towel and studied his frame in the mirror. He’d expect himself to have lost a little weight considering he hadn’t been able to hold down much food lately, but he looked a little on the bloated side.

He used the towel to dry off his hair and carefully combed his fingers through his hair before hanging up the towel and making his way to the bedroom. As he stood in the doorway, Louis pursed his lips and studied the room. He’d stripped the bed earlier in the day to wash the sheets and comforter while the second set of bedding hung up to dry from doing the laundry the previous day.

His skin almost felt itchy and his hands twitched by his sides with the need to clean up the messy room. He typically kept it pretty clean, but there were a few shirts of Harry’s laying on the floor and his nest needed to be reworked.

With a small huff, Louis dropped his towel into the laundry bin and slipped on a cropped t-shirt along with some shorts before he set out rearranging their things. Harry’s clothes were quickly scooped up and placed along with the other dirty clothes, but not before Louis snagged one of his sweaters and pressed it to his nose, inhaling deeply. His alpha’s scent had his heart purring in his chest and his tummy fluttering with butterflies.

A smile was brought to his lips as he rubbed the fabric over his cheek and then down his neck to cover himself in Harry’s comforting scent. When he was satisfied with the blend of scents, he placed the sweater into the hamper and pulled pillows and stuffed animals out of his nest on the window seat where he liked to read. As he neatly folded blankets and rearranged the cushions, blankets, and plushies he hummed quietly to himself.

Harry walked into the bedroom where Louis was making the bed, having pulled the heavy duvet and sheets off the clothesline a few minutes ago. The alpha’s scent floated through the air and alerted Louis of his presence.

“Need help?” Harry hummed and walked over to Louis, slipping his arms around Louis’ waist and kissing his shoulder.

Warmth spread through Louis’ body with Harry’s soft touches and comforting embrace. “Sure. Thank you,” he hummed and turned around in Harry’s arms to give him a quick peck on the lips.

The alpha smiled down at him lovingly and reached up to fix Louis’ fringe with calloused fingers. “You’re welcome, baby.”

With Harry’s help, Louis pulled the fitted sheet over the mattress and tucked the loose sheet underneath at the end of the bed. The need for the bed to be perfectly made clawed at Louis’ mind as he chewed on his lip and adjusted the comforter until it was exactly centered and the stitches lined up with the edge of the bed. He could feel Harry’s gaze on him as he arranged blankets and pillows over the bed and constructed the nest just the way he liked it. It made him feel warm and feverish to know his alpha was watching him so intently.

It came as no surprise when Harry’s hand skated over Louis’ back and slipped under the material of Louis’ cropped t-shirt. He could tell just from Harry’s scent that the alpha was aroused, though Louis wasn’t entirely sure what had brought on the sudden desire.

“Are you feeling better?” Harry asked, crowding Louis up against the edge of the bed as he nuzzled his nose against the bond mark and kissed Louis’ soft skin lightly.

Louis shivered at the show of dominance and nodded. “Yeah. Better than I was a few days ago,” he whispered and gulped as Harry licked his neck protectively.

Louis could feel Harry’s arousal evident against his ass, the long thick line pushing against the constraints of Harry’s jeans.

His hand hesitantly reached back to rest over the bulge he could feel in the front of Harry’s jeans, the heat from his cock radiating through his boxers and his denim jeans. It was erotic, feeling the passion burning under his palm as his alpha burned for him.

With hooded eyes, Louis glanced over his shoulder and up at Harry. Mirth rippled in pools of blue that gazed into the dominance that oozed from Harry’s features.

Harry’s chest rumbled with a growl as he grabbed Louis’ hip and squeezed possessively. “Mine,” he muttered and used his other hand to graze his fingertips over the bond mark on his neck. Every time he saw it, he couldn’t help the overwhelming feelings of lust and the need to worship the small creature in his grasp.

Goosebumps erupted over Louis’ arms and a shiver settled under his skin.

The shorts he was wearing felt too hot, too constricting, and too scratchy. He wanted them off. As if able to sense it, Harry leaned in and nibbled at Louis’ earlobe gently as his hand slid to the front of Louis’ shorts and popped the button.

The rough pads on Harry’s fingers dragged against Louis’ skin, setting it ablaze with desire as the flames of want licked up Louis’ neck and brought a wave of slick out of Louis’ hole.

If Harry didn’t do such a good job helping Louis feel confident, Louis was sure he would have been embarrassed at how quickly Harry had him dripping for his cock. Slick gathered between his cheeks and oozed down his perineum, soaking into the fabric of his panties.

“Smell so good, baby,” Harry’s voice rumbled from deep in his chest. The deep timbre of his words had Louis melting already, his body going loose and pliant.

Louis turned around in Harry’s grip to place a kiss to Harry’s cheek before he pulled away and carefully crawled onto the bed and into the freshly constructed nest. As he settled back against the pillows, he blinked slowly at Harry and let out a soft mewl.

As soon as the quiet noise of desperation left his pretty pink lips, Harry launched himself onto the bed and leaned over Louis’ body. His muscles were taught as they pulled at the hem of his sleeves, his biceps bursting with energy as he towered over the boy.

In response, Louis licked his lips and reached down to tug at Harry’s thin t-shirt. “Off,” he demanded, his eyes flickering up to Harry’s face to watch his pupils dilate, the green just a sliver.

In moments, the shirt was ripped over his head and tossed off to the side. It made Louis bristle for a moment with frustration that Harry was making a mess but as soon as his big hand slipped under his cropped shirt and skated over his nipples, the thoughts were wiped from his mind.

With a shudder, Louis whined and scratched his nails down Harry’s chest and down his abs. “Alpha.”

“Yeah? You want something?” Harry asked, a smirk toying at his lips as he stared down at the soft boy beneath him.

Louis pouted and nodded, squirming under Harry’s touch as he attempted to get a bit of friction. “You. Want you.”

Harry hummed and pinched at a perky pink nipple. “Do you now? Want me to what? Make a sandwich? Clean the bathroom?” He teased and rubbed his thumb in tight circles over the nub. “Is that what you want me to do?”

A huff fell from Louis’ lips as he wriggled against the mattress and jerked his hips up. “Don’t tease,” he whined and gripped Harry’s bicep.

The alpha chuckled as he trailed his fingers down Louis’ tummy and circled his belly button once before dipping lower. “Just trying to figure out what my little omega wants.” His shoulders shrugged as his hand ghosted over the tiny bulge in the front of Louis’ shorts.

Tingles shot over Louis’ body. “Alpha, please. Want you in me,” he murmured and humped his hips up against Harry’s hand before he was being held down.

“Desperate little thing, aren’t you?” Harry snickered and licked a stripe up Louis’ neck before he was ducking down to pull up the cropped shirt with nothing but his teeth. It was fucking hot.

With hooded eyes, Louis watched Harry skillfully pull the shirt up and eventually over his head and off his body, leaving his top bare against the fresh sheets. “More,” he breathed and used his feet to try to slide Harry’s jeans down his hips.

“Patience, babygirl. Just be patient.” Harry’s hands were suddenly off his body, pulling a whimper from Louis at the loss of contact. He was relieved when moments later, those big hands were back on his body and Harry had one less layer on.

Louis didn’t have to wait long before his shorts were being tugged off along with the soaked panties, the items landing on the floor next to the bed. This time, Louis was too distracted to care.

The next few moments went by so quickly and before Louis knew it, Harry had three fingers fucking up into his hole and his mouth sucking marks all along his neck and over his collarbones. The ring on Harry’s finger was cool inside him as it rubbed against his walls and tugged lightly on his rim with each push and pull of his long fingers.

Louis did truly love his fingers. He always had had a thing for large hands, and Harry’s were perfect. The rough pads of his fingers wreaked havoc on his insides, sure, but it drove him crazy to feel his fingers jab against the bundle of nerves deep inside him.

“Harry, please. Want your cock. I need it,” Louis whined out, his head tossed back against the pillow.

“Then take it, baby. Show me that you want it,” Harry hummed and pulled away completely.

Louis’ head shot up and he looked at Harry in confusion as the alpha tugged down his boxers and sat back against the headboard. For a few moments, Louis sat and stared at the alpha, trying to figure out what he was meant to do.

“You want my cock so bad, then come and get it. Get yourself off on my cock, Peachy.” Harry’s eyes bore into his soul, the green rims piercing and dominating.

Realization hit Louis with the force of a thousand men as he lurched forward and scurried to seat himself in Harry’s lap with his cock laying heavy and hard beneath him.

Harry’s eyes were trained on his hole, watching in awe as slick dripped from the omega’s rim like pearls hanging from a gossamer thread. The beads of slick dripped on Harry’s abs as the boy situated himself, his arms already trembling with need and desire.

A small hand wrapped around his huge alpha cock and in seconds he was lining up and slowly sinking down with a gasp as the bulbous head caught on his rim.

“Good boy. Made for me, weren’t you?” Harry breathed, his hands resting on Louis’ hips and stroking reassuring circles into his flesh.

Inch by inch, moment by moment, Louis slowly sunk down on. With each bit of space Harry’s cock took up, the closer Louis could already feel himself becoming. He wouldn’t last long, not with Harry’s eyes looking so confident and dominant as he stared at him.

His grip on Louis’ hips tightened when the omega was fully seated and panting into the crook of Harry’s neck and shoulder. Warm, big hands rubbed up and down his sides as soft reassurances were pressed into the soft skin of Louis’ shoulder.

“You can do this, my omega. Doing so well. My good boy,” Harry praised and pecked kisses up and down Louis’ neck.

With a small nod, Louis slowly pulled himself up Harry’s cock before dropping himself down with a gasp as the cock inside him stabbed deep into his body. Louis hadn’t ridden Harry much, so he was still a bit tentative and nervous with his movements but he didn’t mind exploring the new position with Harry being so supportive and encouraging.

It took a few minutes for Louis to build up a steady pace, but after a while he was lifting and dropping himself up and down Harry’s dick. His bottom lip pulled between his teeth as he closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of his hot skin sliding in and out of his wet heat.

Sex with Harry was good, great even. Louis would even dare to say it was damn near perfect. He truly couldn’t ask for anything or anyone better as he lifted and dropped himself, his thighs quivering a bit as he bounced up and down on Harry’s cock.

Little moans and grunts fell from his parted pink lips as he gripped Harry’s shoulders for support and ground his hips down in figure eights, whimpering as the cock inside him pushed at his walls. “Alpha,” he mewled and scratched at Harry’s chest.

The air was practically punched out of him as Harry used his firm grip on Louis’ hips to flip them over and push Louis down into the mattress. He couldn’t take it any longer, he needed to cum and fill Louis with his seed, the desire of it nipping at his neck and clawing to get out.

“Oh, fuck,” Louis gasped and stared with wide blue eyes up at Harry as the alpha grunted possessively and pounded into him with vigor, taking what was his as he fucked into his mate. “Harry, fuck. Alpha I’m gonna-“

Harry didn’t let him finish as he slammed their lips together and licked wetly into Louis’ mouth, swallowing the moans Louis emitted as his orgasm ripped through his body and wetness flooded from his hole as Harry’s cock disappeared inside him.

“Good boy. Fuck, my good omega. Gonna fill you so full,” Harry growled and nipped at the delicate skin beneath Louis’ jaw as he pistoned his hips into Louis.

As Harry pushed in for a final thrust with his knot swelling and catching on Louis’ rim, Harry knocked one of the pillows off the bed before burying his knot inside the omega with a growl, locking them in place.

Louis gasped, watching in horror as the pillow fell and the wall of his nest collapsed. He whimpered and writhed underneath the alpha, his fingers scratching at Harry’s chest. “No no no!” He chanted, pushing at Harry and crying as he stared at the ruined nest.

Harry’s chest heaved and his knot pulsed inside Louis. His eyes were wide in shock as he stared in confusion at Louis who was sobbing uncontrollably beneath him. “Baby? Baby, what’s wrong?” He panted, brows furrowed and a wrinkle between his eyebrows in deep concern.

The younger boy hiccupped and pointed at the wall of the nest with a shaking finger. “M-my nest,” he whimpered and trembled in distress. “You ruined it,” he wailed and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay. No need to cry, it’s just one pillow.” Harry was trying to help Louis calm down and realize that it really wasn’t a big deal but his words only seemed to spur Louis on. His eyes widened as big fat tears rolled down Louis’ splotchy cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, Peaches! I didn’t mean to knock into it. We’ll fix it as soon as I’m not locked in. I’m so sorry, my sweet boy,” Harry grimaced and pet his fingers through Louis’ sweaty hair. He frowned as Louis shook his head adamantly and scrambled under him.

“No, no, no I need to fix it now. My nest!” Louis choked out. His eyes opened, the blue shockingly bright and flicking left and right as he looked around at the rest of his nest to see if any other part of it was damaged.

“Lou, sweetie, I’m locked in you. You can’t fix it yet,” Harry murmured in an attempt to soothe the omega.

Louis’ lower lip trembled and he was silent for a moment before he tilted his head back and wailed loudly, causing Kayah to run into their room and start barking. His sobs wracked his whole body and Louis’ moving around was tugging at the knot stuffed inside him, which only made him cry harder.

Between Louis’ loud cries of desperation and Kayah’s angry barking, Harry was at a bit of a loss. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. He didn’t want to risk accidentally hurting Louis by moving around and he couldn’t reach the edge of the nest from where they were laying. He worried that if he didn’t fix it though, that Louis would drop and then they would have an even bigger problem on their hands.

Harry’s mouth opened and closed as he stared at Louis in confusion.

“I need to fix it NOW!” Louis screeched and dug his nails into the flesh of Harry’s shoulders, making Harry wince.

Harry sighed heavily, his heart still hammering in his chest and the muscles in his arms and legs aching from the workout. “Okay, it’s okay. We’ll fix it. Just um,” he trailed off, looking down where he was buried inside Louis to try to figure out how he was going to maneuver them to let Louis fix his nest.

His arm snaked under Louis’ back and supported his weight as he carefully lifted Louis from the bed, doing his very best not to tug his knot against Louis’ rim. He shuffled across the bed to where he had accidentally knocked over the pillow and held onto Louis to keep him in place. “Is this okay?”

Louis ignored Harry, his eyes focused on the wall of his nest as he quickly grabbed a few of the pillows and blankets. Harry could see the anxiety in the pools of blue that were his eyes and it was evident that Louis was in distress with the way his fingers trembled. Harry’s hand moved up and down Louis’ back and he watched him closely, being aware of any discomfort that Louis might be experiencing.

He could see the exact moment that Louis deemed the nest repaired. Louis’ whole body relaxed, his hands going still, the tension left his muscles, and his eyes went soft. A slow smile crept onto Louis’ features, lazy and tranquil. Even Kayah seemed to know that all was well in the world and her barking ceased.

“You okay, baby?” Harry asked quietly, the corners of his lips still pulled downwards while he studied the omega perched on his lap. He felt like he had whiplash. One moment Louis’ moaning and dripping on his cock, the next he’s sobbing and yelling at him, and then only a minute later he’s smiling and cuddling with Harry. It was fucking confusing.

“Better now,” Louis hummed and leaned forward to rest his head on Harry’s shoulder. As he tucked his nose against Harry’s scent gland, he let out a content sigh and licked at the patch of skin he found there. A purr rumbled in his chest, adoration thick in his veins as he swiped his tongue over Harry’s skin.

Harry bit his lip, his cock throbbing inside Louis. “Babe, that’s not going to make my knot go down any quicker,” he warned, breath rattling in his chest as the warm wetness of Louis’ tongue on his skin. His brain was running a mile a minute and he was still a bit lost.

“Sorry.”

The alpha shrugged, holding the small of Louis’ back as he shuffled back to lean against the headboard. As he moved, he was wary of even touching the sides of the nest, lest he risk sending Louis into another panicked frenzy. He’d never seen Louis do that before. It wasn’t like that was the first time Harry had ever knocked down part of the nest, but it was the first time Louis had reacted to it so negatively. It was strange, but he didn’t think to push Louis on it any further.

“I’m surprised my rut isn’t here yet. It’s never been more than a day late before,” Harry mused and dragged his fingertips up and down Louis’ arms that wrapped around him. “Maybe it’s a reaction to you being sick?”

Louis nodded hesitantly and chewed at his bottom lip.

Louis wasn’t a fool. He knew what all the signs were pointing to. It only made sense with his constant mood swings and how irritable he’d gotten and the unsettled stomach he’d been dealing with for two weeks now. The final clue had been the fact that Harry’s rut was supposed to start three days ago and there had been no signs that it was coming. There hadn’t been a single moment when Harry had acted overly protective, his scent hadn’t changed, and his libido seemed normal. Louis knew his rut would not come.

The thing is, it terrified him. He’d gone years thinking that this wasn’t possible, and he was still worried that he was wrong. Anxiety clawed at him whenever he thought about the possibility of being pregnant. He didn’t want to get his hopes up only to be disappointed when his belly didn’t get bigger. He hadn’t told Harry of his suspicions yet either. He couldn’t bear the thought of getting Harry excited to be a father and risk having to rip that away from him if it wasn’t true.

He would tell Harry eventually, just not yet. Not until he could be certain.

Louis stared up at the canopy above him, the emerald leaves rustling in the wind and letting the sun shine through and dance across his skin like a kaleidoscope. His hand smoothed over the puppy-soft fur on Kayah’s back where she lay with her head resting on Louis’ tummy.

His lip pulled between his teeth as he watched the blue jays and the finches flit through the branches over his head, listening to their delicate song that floated through the spring air. He envied them. They had flocks of birds to fly with, sing with, and play with and the birds never seemed to be lonely. He missed having a pack. He missed his mom even more.

If his mother were here, she would know just what to do to make him feel better. He could practically picture her laying down right next to him on his bed of grass and pointing out the different birds as she explained the different kinds to him. He knew she would give him the perfect advice about what to do in his current situation and she would be there for him to cry with or laugh with. He felt more like crying than laughing though.

It was difficult for him, trying to come to terms with the fact that he might be pregnant. If his mom were here, she would scold him playfully for even being sad right now and she’d pick him up and spin him around to celebrate the life that might be growing in his tummy.

If his mother were here, Louis would tell her all about how scared he was. He’d tell her how he was terrified to dream of having pups of his own, only to never feel the kick of his baby. He’d tell her he wanted so badly to give Harry the family he deserves, but his body was broken. Or so he thought. He couldn’t be certain that he even was pregnant and he didn’t want to bring his suspicions up to Harry to risk Harry’s heart being broken if it weren’t true. He couldn’t do that to him.

He had no idea how he was going to figure out if he really was pregnant or not, but he had to figure something out sooner rather than later, or else he might just lose his mind with the uncertainty of it all. Even if he was pregnant, there was no guarantee that he would be able to keep it alive.

His mother had miscarried twice, once before she had Louis and once afterward. Both times, she had thought she was in the clear but sooner or later she would lose the baby and be left with soul-crushing sadness that tore at her heart and ripped at her soul. Louis had only been alive to see her go through that once, and he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to get through that like his mother.

She had been so horribly sad for ages after it happened. Louis remembered laying with her in her bed, frowning as he watched his mother stare at the ceiling blankly for hours on end or cry her heart out until she could barely breathe. It scared him when he was a young pup, watching the strongest omega he knew reduced to tears and empty eyes.

Louis had no idea how she survived losing her baby. He remembered his grandma visiting at one point and taking Louis for a few days while his mom stayed home by herself. He can vaguely remember his grandma lecturing his mother about something when she discovered Louis trying to use the stove by himself and nearly burning the house down in the process.

They were all vague memories cloaked in the fogginess of a young mind, but Louis can still remember the pain. He didn’t think he would ever be able to forget his mother’s pain. It was a pain that he was terrified to experience, a pain that he was worried about now more than ever.

As he looked down at his tummy, Louis frowned and pressed his palm to the flat of his stomach. He bit the skin on his lip until he tasted iron and his lips felt raw. He didn’t know what to hope for at this point. He didn’t know if he should be praying that he wasn’t actually pregnant or if he should be praying that he was. Either way, he had the world to lose and in the process, he would risk losing Harry no matter what he hoped for.

He didn’t feel anything as his hand rubbed the skin of his flat tummy. He didn’t feel some kind of existential realization of his current state nor did he feel the heavy weight of dread. He just felt like he was in limbo. Neither here nor there, neither pregnant nor barren.

In the distance, Louis could hear Harry calling his name so he carefully got to his feet and brushed off the grass that stuck to his bare legs. Floral print fabric flowed from his hips and swished around his legs as he hurried out of the woods towards where Harry was standing on the front deck with his thick arms crossed across his chest.

Even from where Louis was, he could spot the soft smile Harry saved just for him. His dimple pushed into his cheek, his green eyes would be half-covered with heavy eyelids, and his lips would crookedly quirk up. It was the look that always turned Louis’ legs to goo and made him want to sink into a warm nest and be cradled by his alpha.

Louis met Harry’s smile with one of his own as he bounded up the steps of the porch and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. With a gasp, Louis swatted at the hand that smacked his bottom and squeezed the soft flesh.

“Hey, baby. Dinner is ready. Think your tummy can handle some steamed veggies and chicken?” Harry asked, slipping his arms around Louis’ waist and skating his fingertips over his back.

With a small smile, Louis nodded and rested his hands on Harry’s shoulders. “I think so. Could we um. Could we also maybe have chocolate for dessert?” He asked in a voice just above a whisper. Just about two days ago, Louis had developed an uncontrollable craving for chocolate so he had been sneaking a few chocolate chips in the middle of the night in hopes that it would go unnoticed by Harry.

“I suppose so. Only a little bit though, we don’t have much chocolate and it’s a rarity. We’ve got to savor it,” Harry hummed and nuzzled their noses together. Warmth spread through Louis’ veins.

“Course,” came Louis’ reply as he was released from Harry’s arms and guided towards the front door to enjoy dinner.

As they sat together, across one another at the table, Harry and Louis chatted about their day and how training was going with Kayah. Harry had also informed Louis that he was beginning to suspect that Libby was pregnant. Upon hearing Harry’s words, Louis stiffened and did his very best not to show any reaction other than pleased for their horse. He didn’t want Harry to pressure him with questions, so he remained pleasant but removed.

While Harry cleaned up after dinner, Louis stepped into the bathroom to take a shower. He cranked the water hotter and closed the shower curtain while he waited for the water to reach the ideal temperature. Steam was soon filling the air and heating up the bathroom, so Louis slipped off his dress and slid the panties down his legs, pausing to look at himself in the mirror.

He didn’t think there was much of a difference, at least not that Louis could see. He felt more bloated than usual, but his stomach was still pretty flat. If he squinted and stared long enough at his tummy, he could maybe imagine that there was a little more pudge on the pooch of his belly but he truly could be simply imagining it. He really wasn’t sure.

His palm slid over his tummy, channeling his energy to his fingertips and strained to feel something – anything. He just wanted to know for certain what his condition was. He wanted to know if he was going to be a mother and if he would make Harry a father.

A sigh fell from parted lips before Louis dropped his hand and tore his gaze from his reflection. When he closed his eyes, he could picture what he would like with a swollen belly and his skin glowing with the life that budded inside him. The prickling under his skin was enough to deter Louis from thinking on it further, it was just too painful to think or dream about a pup until he could be sure.

The water was hot, really hot, when Louis stepped under the steaming spray. It had his skin pinking up and heat rolling off him in waves. The warmth penetrated his muscles deep, easing the tension it found between his shoulder blades and on the back of his neck. He hummed softly, eyes fluttering shut as he rolled his head from side to side to work out the kinks.

Showers were nice, but baths were his favorite when he really needed to unwind and de-stress.

From the bathroom, Louis could hear the vague sounds of Harry finishing up the dishes, the clanking and clattering of pots and pans breaking through the quiet. He truly didn’t know how Harry managed to always be so noisy. It didn’t bother him as much today as it had a few days ago, but it was still astounding that Harry was so clumsy and loud.

Eventually, the sounds from the kitchen faded and soon the gentle notes of Harry’s fingers strumming the guitar that had a home in the corner of the living room drifted into the shower. With the chords that swirled around in his head, Louis’ eyes fluttered shut and a small smile crept onto his lips.

It was a shame that the world had pretty much ended, Harry definitely could have become a musician and done quite well, in Louis’ opinion. He was incredibly talented and Louis could be wrong, but he was pretty sure that Harry had started writing a song of his own. The alpha was shy about his experimentation in songwriting, typically waiting to practice until Louis would outside in the barn or working in the garden.

Even from outside, Louis could hear the guitar playing from inside the cabin. It was sweet, knowing that Harry was exploring his more creative side and Louis really hoped he would get to hear what Harry had been working on for so long.

Every once in a while, Louis would walk in from outside and catch Harry closing a worn-out notebook and tucking it back in its place on the bookshelf.

Omegas by nature were curious creatures and it took every ounce of self-control to not peek at Harry’s notebook when he wasn’t around, but Louis wanted to respect Harry’s privacy even if it killed him to not know. He held onto the hope that his patience would pay off and some day Harry would either let him read the songs he wrote or perhaps play him one.

The song Harry was currently strumming seemed like a slow, relaxing melody that leaned into Harry’s southern roots. Before everything fell apart, Louis had never been a fan of country music, he still probably wasn’t, but he was a big fan of Harry in general and anything the alpha played had Louis’ little heart beating a little faster.

Louis hummed softly to himself as he swayed in the shower, letting the water flow over his head and spill down his shoulders and back. He was already done shampooing and scrubbing the dirt from his skin, but he just wanted to stand and enjoy the feeling of Harry’s skilled musical abilities washing over him as he was cloaked in hot water.

It was lovely.

He hardly noticed when his hands floated down to his tummy, resting both hands on the barely-there bit of pudge of his belly. His palms caressed the skin there as he allowed his mind to float off and wonder what their life would look like in the future.

He wondered if Libby would have a foal and he pictured baby chicks running around the yard as Kayah lounged on the front deck.

He wondered if Harry would go gray right away or if he would age slowly, not truly showing his age until he was in his fifties.

It was his hope that someday they would be able to rebuild the world and restore humanity again. He wanted to know that everything would be better and omegas would have rights again. He just wanted the world to be a better place.

If he truly was pregnant, he wanted to foster a safe environment for his pup and develop a safe community for them to grow up in. This world was no place for babies and it would break his heart to know his pup may have to grow up to be cold-hearted and paranoid.

With a sigh, Louis opened his eyes and looked down at his tummy.

_I hope you’re real._

_Home._

_It was thick in the air, saturating everything around him and filling his lungs with every breath._

_There was a warmth in his bones that he’d never felt before and it flowed under his skin like a river, carrying joy, happiness, love, and comfort in its current._

_His heart was full in his chest, bubbling a giddy laugh up his throat and tugged his lips into a wide smile. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel Harry’s presence just behind him and their skin was sun-kissed by the heat of the rays that broke through the branches above them._

_There was a blanket beneath them and the blades of grass created a cushion under them where he lay with his back pressed to Harry’s front with strong, alpha arms stretched around him with his hands on his tummy._

_He’d always felt most at home in his mate’s arms but this felt different. He felt whole. Complete. Like this was the moment every second of his life had led up to. There was no burden of a fallen world, no fear of strangers, and no sadness that pulled at him and gnawed at his soul._

_A soft yip broke the tranquility around them and Louis’ eyes finally fluttered open._

_The first thing his gaze was brought to was the swell of his belly. He was wearing Harry’s flannel shirt, most of the buttons left open to expose the tight skin that stretched like a balloon._

_He had known what love felt like, he’d loved many things and even more people. He had loved his mothers, his sisters, ice cream, taking naps on the beach, Kayah, Harry, and about a million other things, but he had never felt it overwhelm him quite like this._

_As he stared down at his tummy with Harry’s giant hands stroking the golden skin that peeked through the material of his button-up, he felt the heat that lived in his chest explode into a fiery blaze of a passionate need to protect, love, and cherish the life that was forming inside him._

_He had to squeeze his eyes shut to keep the tears from spilling, taking deep breaths through his nose but grinning widely none the less._

_When his eyes opened once more, the bump was gone._

_Panic flickered through his mind, his smile falling and a strangled cry leaving his lips._

_It was gone._

_His baby was gone._

_His lungs ached. He gasped for air as his head whipped around the clearing he was seated in._

_Harry was gone too._

_His home was gone._

_Just when Louis felt the beginnings of an omega drop creeping in, a small hand rested on his arm._

_Louis eyes shot down to the gentle touch, staring at the little pudgy hand until he looked up._

_“Mommy?” The tiny figure asked, the sun just behind the little one’s head like a halo. He couldn’t make out the face of the small pup, but he knew._

_A larger shadow fell over him as Harry caught up, his breaths coming out in pants as he bent down and scooped up the pup with a wide smile. “You’re getting sneaky, little one. Practically gave Daddy a heart attack.”_

_This was his family. This small pup that shined like the sun and was soft like flower petals was his and Harry’s future._

When Louis’ eyes sprung open, he immediately threw back the blankets and stared down at his stomach. It was still flat, no signs of a baby or toddler anywhere near. But he knew.

He had been waiting for a sign and now he knows.

With silent feet, Louis padded out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, flicking the light switch on as he walked over to the mirror.

He studied himself in the mirror before lifting up the hem of his nightshirt, gazing at his tummy in the reflection. Adoration and love thrummed through his veins and had him close to tears as he brought a hand to his stomach and stroked over the skin with his thumb.

It felt different now.

He could feel something. Like the whispers of what was to come had revealed the truth.

The image in front of him grew blurry as his eyes watered and a smile was brought to his face. He could hardly believe it. It was a miracle.

He was going to be a mother.

_Harry was going to be a father._

Louis’ eyes widened as the realization hit him and he hurried back to their bedroom, relieved to find that Harry was awake even if just barely.

“Mornin, Peaches,” Harry yawned, reaching his hands out to Louis and pulling his small frame against his chest. He buried his nose in Louis’ neck and pressed a kiss there.

Louis bit his lip and giggled softly as Harry’s whiskers tickled his skin.

“You smell good. Different,” Harry mused and nudged his nose against Louis’ jaw. “Like honey. Still smell like peaches and stuff but now you smell a little like honey. Smells good.”

He could feel his heart swelling in his chest, the knowledge of their pup’s existence filling his every thought. Before he could help it, the words bubbled up his throat spilled out before he could stop himself. “I’m pregnant!”

He watched as Harry’s sleepy features furrowed like he was trying to figure out if what Louis just said was a dream that he hadn’t woken up from yet or if this was real. “What?”

“Harry, I’m pregnant,” Louis breathed, studying Harry’s face as he repeated it.

Saying Harry was shocked would be an understatement. His green eyes widened comically and his mouth fell open in surprise as he stared at Louis. “Y-you’re what? How? Are you sure?” The alpha asked, his voice hardly even a whisper.

Louis nodded slowly and lifted up his shirt to reveal his tummy. It’s not like someone could tell he was pregnant just from looking at it, but he needed to show Harry. “I’m sure. I’ve had my suspicions for a few days. I didn’t have a stomach bug, I was pregnant. The mood swings weren’t necessarily related to trauma, they’re from the hormones. And your rut never came. I am, without a doubt, completely sure.”

One moment Harry was staring at Louis in awe, the next he was sobbing messily as tears poured down his cheeks.

Louis gasped as Harry crumbled in front of him, immediately crawling into Harry’s lap to comfort him. “Harry? Alpha, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy?” He said softly, worry filling his chest.

Harry’s head shook as he sniffled wetly and wiped furiously at the streams of salty tears slipping down his face. “Fuck, no baby. Nothing is wrong. Fuck. I’m just,” he cried, his trembling hands reaching for the bare tummy that his gaze was glued to. “I can’t believe it. I thought – I thought it was impossible.”

“Me too,” Louis whispered and reached a hand up to guide Harry’s hand the rest of the way to rest on his tummy. “But here we are. You’re going to be a daddy.”

It hit Harry like a ton of bricks. His eyes shot up to meet Louis’ and his mouth hung open. “You’re going to be a mama. Holy shit, Lou,” he rasped and looked back down at his hand stretched over the non-existent bump. Soon that tiny layer of pudge would grow and swell until he was bulging with their pup.

With careful hands, Harry removed Louis from his lap, ignoring the pout on Louis’ lips until the omega was laying on his back and Harry was hovering over him. Slowly, he brought himself down to prop himself up over Louis’ stomach.

His hands caressed the smooth skin and he leaned down to press a tender kiss to the skin just above Louis’ belly button. “Hi, little one,” he breathed and wiped at the tear on his cheek before it could drip onto Louis’ tummy.

Louis watched, his eyes filled to the brim with tears of complete. The impossible was possible.

They were going to be parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to be sneaky and slowly hint at Louis' pregnancy over the past few chapters. All of your comments about Louis being pregnant made me want to write this chapter more, despite the shitty-ness of this week. You guys rock.


	16. Chapter 16

Mornings were soon becoming Louis’ favorite. It’s funny, he used to despise mornings before the world fell but here, tucked in their warm wooden cabin in the middle of nowhere, mornings were perfect. There was no hum of traffic, no pots and pans clanking in the next apartment, and not a single other soul to disrupt his perfect morning. Aside from Harry, who had learned to give Louis his space when he first rises from the bed.

Sat on the deck of their cabin, Louis sipped at his hot chocolate and let his legs swing back and forth over the edge of the wood decking. From his perch, he could see Libby and Jackson wandering out of the barn and ambling through the tall grass to the water trough. The chickens were just waking up, quiet clucks coming from the back of the barn before the rooster would shatter the silence with his crowing.

He hummed, eyes fluttering shut as he took a deep breath of the damp morning air that clung to the blades of grass beneath his feet in pearls of dewdrops. His hand settled on his flat tummy and gently stroked over the material of his silky sleep shirt.

The thrum of anticipation and excitement still lingered from the night before, which he knew would be slow to fade. Warmth spread from his hand and tingled at his skin every time he thought about the life he was growing inside him, which was all the time and left him feeling like love was oozing from every pore. He could hardly believe it. He was having a baby. He and Harry were going to be mommy and daddy.

As he brought the mug in his hands to his lips, a smile broke out across his features, picturing lazy mornings in bed with his tummy full of pup or a future with his son or daughter sitting next to him, copying their mother as they both enjoyed a morning cup of coffee for him and hot chocolate for his pup. He already missed his coffee but knowing that he was taking care of his baby and providing a safe home for them while they grew made it completely worth it.

Behind him, the front door creaked open and small nails clicked against the wooden boards until he felt a fuzzy head bump against the back of his arm. “Good morning, my sweet girl,” Louis hummed and glanced over his shoulder to see the small wolf pup.

Sharp grey eyes stared up at him as her little tail wagged and her head tilted to the side.

“Want to join me? Come sit with me and your future brother or sister,” he cooed and patted his lap for Kayah to join him. Within moments, her paws pushed on his leg and she hoisted herself up into his lap. She walked one full circle on his thighs before settling down and curling up with her head balanced on his knee as she stared out at the land around them, always on watch.

“Such a good girl,” Louis hummed and looked over his shoulder again to look through the screen of the porch and spot Harry watching him from inside. He offered his alpha a smile and crooked his finger to tell Harry he could join him if he wanted, which Louis could tell he did with how he was shifting back and forth from one foot to another while he held back the urge to come smother Louis in hugs and kisses.

He could vaguely spot through the screen those dimples he loved so much and then Harry was slipping out the door and plopping down next to him.

“Morning, baby. Good morning, littler baby,” Harry murmured, placing a kiss on Louis’ cheek and a palm on his tummy.

Louis snorted out a laugh and rolled his eyes fondly, nuzzling his head against Harry’s. “You’re gonna be practicing your dad jokes already, aren’t you?”

With a grin, Harry nodded and slipped an arm around Louis’ shoulders. “Of course. I have to be prepared for when our pup comes. It’s always important to be prepared,” he teased and pressed his lips to Louis’ temple as he inhaled his peaches and honey scent.

The omega just shook his head and leaned his head on the broad shoulder next to him, a small sigh of contentment falling from his lips. “Can’t believe we’re going to be parents. I didn’t think it was possible. Been thinking for years that I would never feel this way and I’d never experience this. It feels like a miracle. I actually get to give you a family.”

“You know I would’ve been happy either way, right? I’m overjoyed that you’re carrying our pup but I’ll always love you, babies or not. Your sole purpose is not to give me pups, I’m not that old fashioned. You make me happy, Lou. That would have been enough for me. This little miracle is just the cherry on top of a really, _really_ good sundae,” Harry hummed.

As he looked up at his alpha’s face, he knew he was telling the truth. If anyone else had said it, he would have probably accused them of lying but he could see the honesty in his forest-green eyes and the genuine vulnerability in his set brows. “I do know.”

A smile flickered over Harry’s plump lips and his sharp features softened. “Good.”

Louis returned his head to Harry’s shoulder and purred deep in his chest, rubbing his thumb against his belly as he pressed a palm to the nonexistent bump. “I wish my mom were here, y’know? She always knew so much and she would have been so happy.”

A deep hum rumbled against his back in agreement. “I know. I wish she could be too. She would’ve been so happy for you and so proud of you.” Even though Harry didn’t get to meet Louis’ mom, he knew she was a wonderful mother. She would have been over the moon for them both and would have showered Louis in baby clothes and plenty of advice and praise. She would have been a great grandmother.

“I wish I knew more. I have no idea how to have a baby with a doctor or any kind of help. What if I’m not a good mom?” Louis whispered, nibbling on his bottom lip anxiously.

“Shhhh pet. You’re going to be an amazing mama. I do wish we had professionals to help, but we’ll have to rely on our instincts. People did it all the time before modern medicine developed, we’ll figure it out as we go. I know that’s hard, but we’ll learn as we go. We’re in this together.”

Louis nodded and looked down at his flat tummy. “Yeah. Together.”

Louis’ lips pouted as he was dragged from his dreams of babies, sunshine, and lazy afternoons. His skin was warm and tingling as he nestled deeper into the warmth of his bed. He could vaguely hear sheets rustling but drowsiness was still pulling at the edges of his mind.

Something warm and soft brushed over his tummy, pulling a small smile onto his face. Pine trees and vanilla beans floated behind his closed lids, the familiarity of it having his heart swelling in his chest. A purr vibrated in his chest as he arched his back to stretch his muscles until a pair of hands found his hips and pushed them down.

“Mmmm?” Louis mumbled and rubbed at his tired eyes with the back of his hand.

“Good morning,” a rough voice spoke, breath puffing over the exposed skin of his tummy. The sound of his mate’s gravelly timbre had the omega keening under his touch and heat creeping under his skin.

Louis hummed and peeked down at Harry. Affection blossomed in his chest as he watched Harry staring at his tummy, brushing his lips over the tiny swell of his belly. Harry had been insatiable over the past few days, constantly touching or kissing or staring at the slowly growing bump of Louis’ stomach.

He had no idea how far along he was, unable to really pinpoint when he had conceived but he knew he was roughly in the first trimester. It was only a few days ago that he had noticed the small pudge that was on his tummy had grown into an actual bump even if just barely there.

With hooded eyes, Louis smiled down at Harry and brushed his fingers through the messy curls that flopped in his eyes. “Love you,” he murmured and poked his favorite dimple as his alpha nuzzled his nose right under his belly button.

“I love you too. And I love you even more,” Harry cooed down at Louis’ stomach and kissed the smooth skin.

Louis gazed fondly at his alpha and sighed happily, a smile pulling at his lips. He still couldn’t believe this was his reality.

Ever since he’d broken the news to Harry that he was carrying their pup, the alpha was insistent about taking care of Louis and providing for him and their pup. He would frown whenever Louis would carry something heavy, pulling it out of the omega’s arm with a frown and lecturing him about taking it easy, despite the fact that Louis was completely fine to lift and carry things at this stage in his pregnancy. It was sweet though, to have Harry fawning all over him and acting like a protective alpha and spoiling Louis rotten.

He can remember the first day he had noticed the slight curve of his tummy. He had just gotten out of the bath and was stretching his arms above his head when he caught sight of the ever so slight swelling around his belly button. His eyes widened and he let out a soft gasp before dropping his hands to his stomach. Staring in the mirror, Louis smoothed his palm over his tummy and bit back a giddy smile. “Hi baby,” he had whispered and giggled softly.

After pulling on a clean pair of panties that he’d brought into the bathroom with him, he scurried out to the kitchen where Harry had been cleaning up a few dishes. He’d quickly swatted away Harry’s wet and soapy hands from his ass before pointing down at his belly. “Look! I have a bump!” He had enthused and beamed up at Harry with wide blue eyes sparkling with joy and excitement.

Harry had immediately stared down at Louis’ stomach and dropped to his knees in front of the petite boy, smiling breathlessly at the tiny swell. “Look at that. So perfect,” he whispered and rested sudsy hands against his warm tummy. For nearly five whole minutes, Harry had cooed and whispered softly to the tiny bundle of cells growing in Louis’ womb.

Louis’ bottom lip pulled between his teeth as he remembered fondly the memories from only a week ago, ghosting his fingers over Harry’s cheek reminiscently. The stubble across his jaw and upper lip pricked at his fingertips, rough and coarse against his own smooth skin. He loved it though, feeling the prickly stubble under his touch when they kissed or the burn it left behind on his cheeks when Harry ate him out.

“Plans for today?” Louis asked, running his fingers through his own messy mop of bedhead to attempt to flatten the strands that were no doubt going in every direction.

Harry hummed, pursing his lips against Louis’ belly. “I was thinking about working on the old bedroom and turning it into the nursery.”

Louis grinned and nodded dopily, the familiar feeling of glee and joy bubbling in his tummy. “That sounds lovely,” he whispered and smiled happily up at the ceiling. “I wish we could repaint it.”

The room was currently a soft beige color from a can of paint that Harry had found on one of his runs before he had found Louis and the paint wasn’t very even, with some of the natural wood from the walls coming through the thin paint. Ideally, he would have loved to completely plan out the nursery and paint, get new curtains, a rug, and pick out all kinds of baby furniture. He would have to settle for handmaking as much as he could though and he’d have to deal with the color of the walls. He wasn’t ready to send Harry back out for paint, not with the dangers that he had now seen first hand.

“I know. Maybe in a few months we could try to do another run,” Harry sighed and pressed a final kiss to Louis’ belly before slowly pulling himself out of bed. As he shifted in their bed, Kayah’s head popped up and she lurched from her den at the end of the bed, knocking a stray pillow off the bed.

Louis was glad he had moved his nest after the incident a few weeks ago. After nearly having a panic attack when Harry had messed up his nest, the next day Louis had gathered all of his nest supplies and began constructing a new nest that would be safe from any rough sex they planned on having. He loved being fucked in his nest, but with his added hormones and pregnant instincts, he didn’t want to risk having his nest messed up again.

Instead of having one main nest, Louis had begun to construct a few mini nests so he had a place to cuddle up in no matter what room he was in. The bedroom had a nest on the window seat where he liked to read or take afternoon naps and the living room had a nest behind the couch where he had draped a blanket over the back of the couch and on an extra chair to create a blanket fort with plenty of blankets, pillows, and a few of their clothes that he would regularly change out to maintain a strong scent.

So far, they hadn’t done any work to begin turning the old bedroom into the nursery, but Louis would work on building another nest in the baby’s room as they began to decorate and prepare for their pup. This would be the nest that he gave birth in, so Louis knew it would have to be carefully constructed. He was already thinking about what blankets he needed to have in the nest and which articles of clothing would be needed when he gave birth. He had plenty of time to prepare for their pup, but he just wanted it to be perfect.

In the meantime, he was perfectly content with dreaming of their future together. He nodded and watched Harry’s retreating back as he headed out of the bedroom towards the bathroom for a shower, Kayah hot on his heels. With a sigh, he stretched his arms over his head and shoved the pillow over his face, burying himself in the feather-filled pillow.

In the bathroom, he could hear the water running, and after a few minutes of Harry presumably warming up the water, the soft tones of his voice floated through the air. Louis could recognize a similar melody in one of the songs he had overheard Harry writing and as always, it brought a smile to his face.

Louis hummed to himself and tossed the pillow away, hearing it land on the floor next to the bed. For about a millisecond, he was prepared to leave it there. Then he bit his lip and hesitated at the doorframe before turning back and plucking the pillow from the ground. He fluffed it and set it back where it belonged before smiling with a nod of satisfaction once it was precisely placed.

When he passed the bathroom, he snickered and snapped his fingers to call Kayah away from her position sitting at attention just outside the door. Nails clicked against the floorboards towards the kitchen, halting next to Louis as he pulled a mug from the cupboard.

“Need to go potty?” Louis asked, setting down the mug and letting the front door swing open to let Kayah romp through the grass. The wolf pup took off as soon as the door was open, yipping happily.

While Louis was making breakfast for Harry, oatmeal with brown sugar and a fried egg, his nose wrinkled at the pungent smell of egg. Fried eggs hadn’t bothered him at all for the past few weeks, but today they were making his stomach churn uncomfortably. “Fuck,” he whimpered and turned off the stove before scurrying to the bathroom.

He swung the door open, ignoring Harry’s shocked facial expression as he stumbled to his knees and gripped the toilet seat. His jaw clenched shut as he tried his hardest to hold it back, his throat burning with bile.

A wet hand rested on his back, soaking through the thin silky material of his shirt and rubbing soothing circles. “It’s okay, baby. Your body needs this, just let it go,” his alpha murmured to him and knelt down behind him, naked and dripping wet.

Louis whimpered and reached back to grab one of Harry’s hands, clinging to it tightly as he emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet. He’d managed to go almost three days without throwing up and he thought he had a handle on the whole morning sickness thing but clearly, he was wrong.

As he hunched over the toilet his skin felt cold and clammy, sending shivers down his spine. The now wet material of his shirt stuck to his back and the floor beneath him was wet from the water dripping off Harry. It would probably frustrate him later when he felt good enough to actually think about it, but at the moment he was just grateful to have a supportive alpha to rub his back.

Louis snuffled into his favorite shirt of Harry’s, whining under his breath as he rolled over inside his nest in the living room. He had just woken up from his second nap of the day and his head was till throbbing a bit from the migraine that had sent him to bed in the first place. Over the past three weeks, his headaches were frequent and they always came after especially bad morning sickness. This morning, he had lasted until eleven before his nausea kicked in and landed him in the bathroom sprawled out on the cool tiles.

He could feel the rise and fall of Kayah’s breaths from where she was curled up against his tummy. It was her favorite place to nap now, cozied up to Louis’ slowly growing belly. The body heat she was giving off seeped through his white cotton dress warmed his tummy and brought a sleepy smile to his lips.

Pots and pans clattered a few feet away in the kitchen where Harry was most likely cooking up dinner. It was most likely what had drawn Louis from his nap, which was probably a good thing. He hadn’t been sleeping the best over the past few weeks and the naps were helping him feel less tired, but they were also making it more difficult for him to fall asleep later in the evenings. It was truly a vicious cycle.

His joints ached and his knees creaked as he crawled out of his nest, leaving Kayah behind to nap for a while longer without him. He huffed as he tripped over one of his pillows and carefully rearranged the pillows in his wake.

“Hey there, Peachy. Have a good nap?” Harry asked, glancing over at the boy as he padded into the kitchen. He was adorable, it was plain as day. Harry’s gaze softened as he took in the rumpled white dress that hung off Louis’ petite frame and the fuzzy socks on his feet, one of them bunched up and drooping down his ankle while the other one was pulled all the way up.

Louis pouted and tucked himself into Harry’s chest. “My head still hurts. Baby must be mad at me,” he sniffled and hid his face in the soft material of Harry’s t-shirt.

“Baby isn’t mad at you, Lou. Your body is just adjusting. There’s a pup growing inside you, your body is providing a safe and warm home for our little one before they join us. It’s not that he or she is mad at you, they just need the strength of your body to grow,” Harry murmured and kissed the top of Louis’ head. “I know that it’s hard on you, but you’re doing amazing. You’re already a wonderful mommy.”

Louis’ lower lip trembled. “You think so?”

Harry shook his head, a fond and adoring smile pulling at his lips. “I know so.”

With a small nod, Louis squeezed his arms around Harry even tighter. “Thank you. I love you so much,” he whispered, pleased pheromones slipping from his scent glands as he released his happy scent into the air.

“I love you too, Peaches. So fucking much.”

“Still gonna love me when I’m chunky and waddling everywhere?” Louis asked, trying to be playful.

The arms around him tightened and rough fingers gently touched his chin, tilting his head back to look up at the alpha’s stern gaze. Louis shrunk under his gaze, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth.

Harry’s hand on his lower back pulled him even closer until he was fully pressed against his chest. “You are going to be so beautiful when you’re big and round with my pup. God, the thought of your hips getting wider and your thighs getting even thicker makes me want to bury myself inside you and keep you pregnant forever. You’re barely showing now, but I can already tell that you’re going to be absolutely breathtaking. Swollen ankles, love handles, and all.”

Louis blushed and focused his gaze on Harry’s chin, feeling even more vulnerable under Harry’s intense gaze. He knew Harry would still think he was attractive even at nine months pregnant and he really didn’t have a problem with his body changing to accommodate their pup. He had truly been joking when he asked if Harry would still love him, but it lit a fire in his gut to hear those words from Harry.

“Okay,” Louis breathed. He could tell his cheeks were pink, the telltale heat of melting into a shy omega prickling up the back of his neck and spreading over his cheeks.

“I’m serious, babe. You are the most stunning omega I have ever seen in my entire life and the fact that you’re carrying our pup that we made together makes me want to show you off to the entire world while simultaneously hiding you away and keep you protected.”

Louis let out a soft giggle and looked back up into Harry’s distractingly green eyes. He loved how passionate Harry was, how he felt with his whole heart and didn’t leave anything on the table. He gave all of himself and wore his heart on his sleeve, a trait Louis found to be rare in alphas.

Harry’s own lips quirked into a smile. “And by the way, curvy omegas are the best,” he whispered with a wink before nuzzling their noses together. “And you’re my favorite.”

“I should certainly hope so,” Louis hummed and leaned up onto his tippy toes to kiss Harry lightly. “That would be pretty disappointed to be all knocked up and full of pup if I wasn’t your favorite.” He could feel Harry’s smile against his own and he was sure they looked like idiots, just smiling against each other’s mouths but it was perfect.

Pulling away, Louis smoothed out his dress and rubbed a hand over his tummy. “So, Alpha. What are you making me for dinner?” He walked over to the stove and peeked into one of the pots.

“Steamed veggies, chicken, and some of that homemade bread you made the other day. Gotta keep you nice and healthy. That baby needs lots of rich nutrients to grow into a big strong alpha like me,” Harry teased.

“Who says they’re going to be an alpha? Maybe they’ll be a beta,” Louis hummed. Betas were the most common secondary gender, although the genes on Harry’s side of the family apparently ran thick with alphas.

“Or maybe a sweet omega like their mommy,” Harry murmured. Louis could tell from his tone of voice alone that Harry was watching him fondly, he didn’t even need to look over at him to know the exact look he would be giving him.

“Perhaps,” Louis agreed and picked up a plate. “Either way, we both appreciate your cooking. Though, lately I’ve been craving sweet potatoes. Think the ones in the garden are ready yet?”

Harry’s hand replaced Louis’ on the plate as he took it from the omega and began to spoon plenty of veggies onto his plate. It was sweet, in Louis’ opinion, that Harry had been feeling the overwhelming need to nurture Louis and coddle him ever since they figured out he was pregnant nearly a month ago. His instincts had him wanting to cook for Louis, feed him, take baths with him, and show off his physical ability to protect the pregnant omega.

“Soon. I’ll check tomorrow when I weed the garden to see how they’re coming along. The beans should be ready within the next few days too,” Harry mused and set the full plate down on the table where Louis always sat.

A tall glass of water was set next to the plate as Louis took his seat, smiling gratefully up at his alpha when he pushed the chair in for him. The vibrant veggies in front of him were steaming hot, so Louis blew on them to cool them off and watched Harry amble around the kitchen to get his own food.

When he returned, Louis snickered at the mountain of chicken on his plate and the much smaller pile of veggies. Harry was extremely healthy, so he didn’t eat tons of bread like Louis liked to, but he always filled up on plenty of protein. “Hungry much?” he teased lightly.

“I’m a growing alpha,” Harry joked, though he received an eye roll from Louis rather than a laugh.

“Sure you are,” Louis hummed nonchalantly, taking a delicate bite of steamed carrot. “Here I was, thinking you were just getting old. Aging mind and decreased libido and all that.”

“Oh yeah?” Harry smirked. “I didn’t know an old alpha could still fuck you up against a wall and have you screaming after four orgasms.”

A hot, dark blush rose on Louis’ face. “Jury’s still out on that one. Haven’t been provided with enough evidence to make a decision.”

“Maybe we’ll have to test it out after dinner.”

Louis groaned as he sunk back on his heels, wiping bile from his lips with the back of his hand. His fringe was stuck to his forehead with cold sweat and the flannel he’d stolen from Harry was hanging off one shoulder, his chest heaving.

“Fucking hell,” he panted and squeezed his eyes shut, a hand resting on his tiny baby bump. “You’re killing me, kid. Take it easy on Mama.”

After a few short minutes of waiting for the remaining nausea to ease up, Louis flushed the toilet and rinsed his mouth out with a grimace. He couldn’t wait until he was out of the first trimester, all this vomiting and feeling queasy was getting old.

The wooden floorboards were cool against his bare feet as he quietly padded through the living room. Gritting his teeth, Louis slipped through the front door and closed it as quietly as he could manage. The wooden screen door squeaked on its hinges, cutting through the silence.

Louis waited a few moments, relieved when he heard no signs of having woken Harry up. He let out a soft sigh and sank down on the edge of the deck. Crickets chirped in the grass around him, filling the cool air of dawn with their soft music as the fireflies flickered in the shadows.

Being out here reminded him of crisp mornings at home with his mom before the world fell. Once a month his mom would wake him up before sunrise, gently coaxing him out of bed and into the car. He remembered how he would fall back asleep on the drive into town, only waking up when his mom would gently shake him and carry him into the small coffee shop an older woman in town owned.

Every time, he’d order a white hot chocolate and his mom would get a steaming hot vanilla latte. When they returned home, they’d sit on the lounger in the back yard and watch as the sun greeted the world in shades of pink and orange.

He remembered the conversations they would have, both of them bundled up in blankets and cuddling on the lounge chair. They’d giggle and laugh together while enjoying their hot beverages until the world around them was painted in the color palette of summer mornings.

He wanted that with his own pup. He wanted to make memories with them, taking time to make sure they knew how special they were. The memories he had made with his mom when he was younger would stick with him for the rest of his life, forever cherished and loved.

Louis looked down at his tummy and rubbed where he could feel the subtle swell. “My baby. I can’t wait to meet you eventually. I never thought this would be possible, to feel so much love for someone I’ve never met or even seen. You’re my little miracle though.”

He leaned back against the wooden boards, tucking an arm behind his head as he stared up at the purple sky. “I wish you could’ve seen the world before all of this. It hurts to know you’ll never get to meet your grandma or aunties. You’ll never get to go to the city to see a play or go shopping for back to school season. We’re going to do the best we can to give you a good life, though. We’ll do whatever it takes for you.”

“I promise to show you how beautiful the world can be. I know you’ll probably end up seeing the ugliness that exists in the world now, but we’ll do everything we can to keep you safe and protected from the evil. I’ve seen it before, baby. Our world isn’t what it used to be. Omegas like me aren’t safe anymore and hate and greed are taking over. I want to make it safe for you, to change the way things are so you can live in a better world.”

Louis pursed his lips and rubbed circles around his belly button. “I hope you’re not an omega. The world is scary for us now. I’ll love you no matter what, but this isn’t a place for omegas anymore. Please be a beta or an alpha. I couldn’t bear to see you hurt, to know that you’ll be hunted down like an animal. Your daddy and I will do our best to protect you, but there’s just so much evil out there,” he whispered, feeling the beginnings of tears in his eyes.

The prospect of having his pup present as an omega terrified him. He was never one to say that omegas were too weak to take care of himself, he didn’t believe that alphas or betas were better than omegas but he’s seen what alphas were willing to do to get their hands on an omega. The mere scent of an omega turned them crazy and ready to kill anything that came between them and their prey.

If his pup did present as an omega, he would do everything in his power to keep them safe. He’d do anything to fix their broken world, to better civilization, and provide a loving environment for his baby.

With a pup on the way, they couldn’t pretend like they could live in isolation forever. It might be a year, five years, or maybe even twenty years, but at some point they would have to find a group to join. To give their pup a future and provide them with the opportunity to find love. It was utterly terrifying.

He couldn’t be sure how long he lay there, but at some point the sun was pushing up from the horizon into the sky. The forest around him that was painted in pink and orange gradually took on the golden hues of daylight, waking up the chickens and sending the lightning bugs to bed.

Eventually, he could hear the heavy footsteps of his alpha stumbling through the cabin, and then the screen door was swinging open, hinges creaking and slamming back shut with a bang.

“Sorry,” Harry mumbled, clearly still half asleep as he stopped next to Louis. “How long have you been up?”

“I dunno. Was just getting ready to come back inside to shower and get something to eat. I wanted to go on a ride today to take some time to myself,” Louis hummed and pushed himself to his feet, ghosting his lips over Harry’s scruffy cheek.

“Okay. Just be careful out there by yourself. Take the pistol with you,” Harry yawned and scratched at his stomach lazily.

The omega simply nodded and nosed at Harry’s scent gland affectionately, taking in his musky scent of pine and vanilla. He hummed and licked the alpha’s bond mark before pulling away and heading for the door.

A large hand shot out and grabbed Louis’ smaller one, yanking the petite boy into his arms. “C’mere baby,” Harry mumbled, his voice low and deep as he pulled Louis into his chest.

Louis giggled and peered up at Harry with his blue eyes sparkling with his playful energy, nuzzling his nose against Harry’s chest and spreading his own scent over his mate. “Yeah?”

“Want some sugar from my sweet boy.” Harry's hands slid around Louis’ sides, sliding down over his curves and reveling in the warm skin under his fingertips, rough from hard labor.

With a shy smirk, Louis pushed up onto his toes and wrapped his arms around Harry’s broad shoulders. “Yeah?” He whispered and leaned up to press his lips against Harry’s, not a care in the world about their mixed morning breath.

Their kiss was slow and lazy, just soft brushes of warm lips and gentle caresses. It was beautiful and lovely, just the two of them showing their love for one another with sweet kisses. Louis loved moments like this.

When he pulled away, Louis smiled languidly and blinked drunkenly up at his alpha. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Peachy. So much,” Harry murmured and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “How’d you feel this morning?” He asked as they both stepped back inside.

“Not great. Sick again this morning and Baby apparently doesn’t like letting me sleep, I had heartburn all night.” Louis shrugged and pulled a mug from the cupboard to make his morning cocoa.

“Sorry to hear that. Want me to make you some oatmeal for breakfast?” Harry offered and pulled the oats down from the top shelf of their pantry. “I’ll even make sure to add honey.”

“Sure. We’ll see if I can keep it down this time. You okay if I take a quick shower while you’re making it?” Louis asked and halted his making of the hot chocolate.

Harry nodded and rubbed Louis’ back. “Go for it, little one. Take as long as you need.”

With a grateful smile, Louis bobbed his head and wandered towards the bathroom to wash off the memories of his morning sickness and start fresh.

When Louis finished his oatmeal and hot chocolate after his shower, he pulled on a pair of leggings and a flowy yellow t-shirt. As he dressed, Kayah watched him curiously with protective gray eyes. She was definitely going to grow up to act just like Harry, watchful and protective as the alpha. It was funny, how against bringing Kayah home Harry had been, only for the alpha to soften up and grow a soft spot for the wolf pup.

Kayah had grown a few inches since they brought her home, now just about as tall as Louis’ knee. She was still Louis’ little girl, but she was just as close now to Harry as she had been with the omega. Louis didn’t mind at all, just glad that Harry had warmed up to her and she was adjusting well.

He leaned down and scratched behind her ears on his way out the door, murmuring a soft praise to his girl as he passed her to sit down on the couch and pull on his boots. Harry was still in the shower, so Louis had to carefully close the door behind him to ensure that Kayah didn’t follow him outside. He liked bringing her with him on rides, but today he just felt like he needed to be alone with Libby as he explored the woods surrounding the cabin.

He’d managed to explore a good chunk of the forest around them, but he has yet to ride north and explore the sights that lay in that direction. Harry had mentioned exploring that area once and he said there was a creek where many of the animals would flock to for water that Louis was hoping to find. It would be the perfect place to stop to give Libby a drink of water.

As he rode into the woods, he inhaled deeply the scent of wet wood and moss from the morning dew. Before the world fell, he wasn’t a fan of camping or spending much time out in the wilderness, but he had grown to really love it. He now found solace in being by himself surrounded by the beauty of nature and the sounds of the forest like a symphony to his ears.

As much as he wished his pup could have grown up in the world before it fell, he was grateful that his pup would have the opportunity to grow up here in the middle of nowhere. His pup would get to learn about the wilderness and grow to respect nature.

It didn’t take too long for Louis to reach the creek, only riding for about an hour and a half before he could hear the trickling of water over rocks. He slid from Libby’s back when they came up to the bank of the gurgling creek, stretching his sore legs and leading Libby to the edge of the water for a drink.

With a sigh, Louis rubbed his hand over Libby’s neck and smiled at her. “Good girl.”

A twig snapped somewhere behind him.

Louis’ heart practically stopped in his chest as he froze in place.

His eyes flicked around his surroundings, the blood rushing in his ears practically deafening.

Silence hung heavily in the air like a weighted blanket muffling all sounds.

Louis swallowed thickly, slowly creeping towards the saddle to look for the pistol.

_Shit._

_Shit._

**_Shit_ ** _._

He had forgotten to pack the gun like Harry had told him to. Fuck. He was going to die.

Louis whimpered, gripping the leather reins so tightly in his fist that he was sure the material would leave a mark in the palm of his hand.

“Hi,” a voice called out from somewhere hidden in the trees, the brief word thick with an accent that Louis wasn’t familiar with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welllll? Who is the mystery person in the woods?


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!

Louis swallowed thickly, every cell in his body screaming at him to run and hide.

His fingers twitched around the leather reins in his hand, the muscles in his legs trembling with the urge to flee, to run until his legs couldn’t carry him any farther. Flicking his eyes to the right, Louis quickly scanned the area in an attempt to map out an escape route.

Leaves rustled, the loud crack of a fallen branch made Louis flinch as he pressed closer to Libby’s side in fear, lifting his foot to the stirrup dangling against the horse’s side.

“Wait! I’m not going to hurt you!”

With wide eyes, Louis watched a slender man step out from the trees, cursing under his breath as he tripped over a branch. Upon first glance, he didn’t look very frightening, but Louis knew better than to let his guard down so easily.

His world for so long consisted of Harry and only Harry, but now his world had grown to include the bundle of cells growing and forming a little pup in his womb. He needed to protect his pup at all costs. A fire ignited in his chest, sending his body jolting forward into action as he used his foot in the stirrup as leverage to heave himself up into the saddle.

“Please, don’t run,” the stranger said with a gentle voice, his hands held up in the air to show his innocence. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”

The man was still a good distance away from him, but Louis could tell just by his stature that he wasn’t an alpha but a beta. It felt strange, to be in front of someone he couldn’t smell. It’d been over a year since he had been near a beta and the experience was unsettling.

“My name is Niall!” The man called out, holding his hands up higher with wide eyes as he pleaded for Louis not to go. “I can help you.”

Louis narrowed his eyes at the beta, Niall apparently, as he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and dug his fingernails into his palm. Instead of responding, he merely growled and wrinkled his nose angrily.

The brunette stranger slowly took a step closer, his eyes wide but calm and his lips in a tight line. “Please, I just want to talk.”

Louis faltered, eyeing the man suspiciously.

“I’m gonna sit down. You can join me, if you want.” The voice was gentle, calming even as the beta sank down to sit on a fallen log.

A few moments passed with Louis simply staring at him, watching his every move carefully. His fingers picked at a hangnail and his leg jiggled in what Louis could only assume was nerves.

It was reassuring, to know that the beta seemed just as nervous as he was. Louis liked to think he was a good judge of character. He could usually tell when someone was lying to him and when they were being truthful. Plenty of people liked to assume omegas were innocent, naïve little creatures who liked to believe the best in people, but in reality, they could usually pick up well on the emotions of others. They could sense tension, anger, annoyance, as well as joy, sadness, and honesty. It came in handy with friends and looking after loved ones but it also was crucial for navigating uncertain circumstances with strangers.

There was something about the beta’s open, vulnerable eyes that had him wanting to sit down and listen to what the man had to say. Rather than dismount and walk over, Louis eased his grip on the reins and slowly relaxed in his seat in the saddle. He wasn’t ready just yet to put himself in a vulnerable position, so he remained where he was, still ready to flee if he needed to.

Around them, shades of yellow and white flickered on butterfly’s wings as flies buzzed around them noisily. As one flew by his ear, Louis flinched and flicked the noisy insect away, annoyance bubbling in his gut as he watched the beta smile.

Niall hummed and stretched his legs out in front of him, running his hands over the moss on the log next to him. “So, um. As I mentioned, my name is Niall. I’m from Ireland. Well, I was born and raised in Ireland, but I went to university at the University of Minnesota when I was eighteen and interned at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,” he spoke, scratching at the back of his neck at the base of his hairline.

Louis glanced over at Niall and studied his hesitantly cheerful expression. It was strange, being around another individual that wasn’t looking to hurt, kidnap, or worse, kill him. He didn’t quite know how to respond to not being hunted down.

“I was a nurse, you know, before all the shit hit the fan. My mates never let me hear the end of it, they loved to give me shit for being a male nurse. But I loved it. The docs were always too busy to get to sit and chat with patients, but as a nurse, I got to interact with patients. You’re the one that gets to know them and their families. It was great.”

Louis blinked in surprise. “A nurse?” He asked quietly, shifting his eyes just slightly down to his stomach. He knew the beta couldn’t tell he was pregnant, his shirt was flowy enough to cover his tiny bump and he had no way of knowing his condition just from his scent.

The man nodded, smiling brightly at having gotten a response out of the omega. “Sure was. What did you do before all this?”

The boy stiffened, snapping his mouth shut. If there was anything Harry had taught him, it was to be wary and slow to trust others if they haven’t earned it.

Niall waited a few moments before shrugging. “S okay. You don’t have to talk yet if you’re not ready. I can tell you’re strong. Have to be to stay alive when the world’s gone arse up. You do what you have to do to stay alive.”

“Anyhow, after it all fell I traveled north here to Canada. They were handling the pandemic better than the States were and I figured they could use another nurse, so I came here. It was hardly a few months later when even Canada fell. Been livin' in a fucking tent ever since. What I wouldn’t give for an actual bed,” Niall chuckled and pulled a can of beans out of the rucksack that Louis had somehow missed.

He watched him pull back the tab on the can and use his fingers to messily shovel the pinto beans into his mouth. Juice from the beans ran down his chin, catching on the sparse facial hair speckled over his jaw and cheeks. Louis could tell he hadn’t showered or bathed in weeks, with his greasy hair and dirt caked under his fingernails.

From his position almost twenty feet away, Louis could see the bones in the beta’s wrist. His arms were skinny with a thin layer of muscle filling out his otherwise bony frame and his legs looked like toothpicks. Memories of his own battle with starvation flashed through his mind, the sensation of being so weak that he could hardly stand, his stomach hurting at first and then an emptiness settling low in his gut, and the feeling of wanting nothing more than to give up.

He almost wanted to help him, to bring him back to the cabin and feed the poor beta. But he wouldn’t. Not yet. He still couldn’t be sure of the stranger’s intentions.

“Feels kinda weird though, not having something to do every day other than focusing on just not dying. I used to wish I had more time off. I was at the hospital all the fucking time and I would bitch and moan on and on about having more free time and look at me now. All I have is free time. And I don’t even have beer,” Niall sighed, sucking the bean juice off his fingers and picking a bit of bean out from under his nail.

Louis hid his disgust.

“It’s fucking brutal, innit? Who woulda thought we’d end up stranded in fuck knows where, in a bunch of tents with nothing more than beans for the day,” Niall chuckled humourlessly. “I’m surprised to see you’ve made it this far. Most omegas don’t last this long without a group.”

Louis’ blue eyes snapped up to meet Niall’s. He couldn’t know.

The beta eyed him for a moment but didn’t press any further. Thankfully, he shrugged his scrawny shoulders and set the now empty can of beans next to him on the pebbly bank of the creek. Louis didn’t know if Niall knew he had someone to help take care of him or if he was just trying to make conversation.

He longed to ask if Niall had a group too.

“Seems like folks are fucked in the head. Came across these two alphas once, they were stalking around with knives and grunting to each other like they reverted back to wolves. I was picking berries that I hoped to God weren’t gonna have me keeled over and dead when suddenly they were sneaking up behind me. I’m damn lucky to have heard the leaves crunching or they probably would’ve eaten me for dinner,” Niall hummed and tugged at a dirty bunch of strings at the hem of his jeans. “I had to climb up a fucking tree to get away from ‘em and they just sat there waiting for me for hours until they must’ve gotten drawn away by something. I’d never seen anything like that. Two alphas grunting and communicating through growls and shit. I felt like I was watching two wolves hunting down their next meal.”

So Harry and Louis weren’t the only ones to have come across rogue alphas that were eager to kill. It put a chill in his bones, knowing that they weren’t isolated attacks. It sounded like it was happening all over. It was almost as if the alphas were going feral.

The thought alone chilled Louis to the bone and gnawed at his tummy uncomfortably.

“Could I pet your horse?”

Louis blinked in surprise at the beta, his brows furrowing as the corners of his lips turned down a little.

“Sorry if that’s random. I haven’t touched or even seen a horse in ages,” Niall hummed and offered a hopeful smile. “Please?”

The omega chewed on his bottom lip, shifting in his seat on the saddle before he nodded slowly and hesitantly. With each step the beta took forward, Louis nipped at his lip until he could taste iron and ran his tongue over his lip, getting rid of the blood.

Niall’s steps were slow and measured, keeping his hands up where Louis could see them as he stepped closer and closer.

When Niall stepped up to Libby’s side, a mere two feet between himself and Louis, he offered an open smile. “She’s beautiful. Is she some kind of paint or what are they called? Appleloosa?”

Louis couldn’t keep back the giggle that bubbled past his lips as Niall called her an ‘Apple-loosa’. He glanced down at Libby and stroked the side of her neck. Instead of correcting the man, he nodded.

“Cool,” Niall hummed and reached up to rest his hand on her shoulder, keeping his eye on the omega’s reaction with each move. He remained silent for a few moments as he stroked his hand over her soft fur and got a raspberry blown against his shoulder by Libby. A loud, cackling laugh ringing through the clearing as her nose tickled against his skin.

“I like her. The last time I was this close to a horse was when I was a kid,” Niall noted. “I went to a birthday party once when I was probably about seven. I can’t even remember whose party it was, but I remember the theme of the birthday was cowboys. We watched this movie about a bunch of cowboys stealing from the rich and giving to the poor or something. I loved that movie for months after that birthday party. I told my oul dear I wanted to be a cowboy when I grew up. I didn’t shut up about it either. Until I was maybe ten years old, I would gab on and on about horses for hours.

When I turned ten, my mum had saved up and brought me to a stable in the next village where they offered lessons to kids. We only could afford one lesson, so she gave me that day as my gift that year. I fucking loved it. I’m pretty sure I rode some little pony with a weird-ass name like Sprinkles or Glitter. Poor little guy.”

Louis chewed on his lip as he listened to Niall ramble on and on for a while, for now, content to just listen to the talkative man. He made sure to hide his amusement, sucking his lips into his mouth in an attempt to smother a smile as Niall gestured wildly and spoke in his thick accent.

“Anyway, so my obsession with all things horses and cowboys lasted another year or two before the lads at school gave me shit for it and didn’t let it go. I was mortified. I ran straight home after school and tossed the cowboy boots my ma had gotten me into the thrift box. After that, I got into footie and rugby like the other boys my age.”

In another life, he easily would have been fast friends with a guy like Niall. The beta seemed likable enough, with bright eyes, funny stories, and what seemed like a kind heart. He longed to trust Niall, to bring him back to the cabin and feed the poor beta until his tummy was full and his heart content. He couldn’t though. Not without knowing more about him. Harry would have an absolute fit if he found out Louis had met Niall, much less if he had brought him back to their safe haven.

Louis gradually relaxed in his seat, one by one, each one of his muscles releasing the tension that had wound itself so tight that his arms and legs were sore. With each of Niall’s silly anecdotes, the omega found his lips quirking up softly until he realized he was starting to smile, then he quickly schooled his facial expressions. He was sure Harry would be proud.

He had hardly noticed it was beginning to grow dark until Niall gave a friendly smile and held up his hands. “Well, I’m knackered. I should probably go,” the beta hummed and turned to pick up his can from where he was previously sitting.

Louis blinked in surprise, glancing around as he took in the dimly lit woods around him. He let out a soft breath and tucked his bottom lip between his teeth. Disappointment. It surprised him, but he couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened that Niall was leaving and they would go their separate ways.

Slowly, he nodded and looked down at his hands holding the worn leather reins.

Niall snatched his can up off the rocks and tossed it in the air, catching it easily in the other hand. A dirty hand ran through his snarled brown hair, tugging at knots and scratching at his scalp as he looked at the ground. “I um. I’m gonna be back tomorrow. Same time and place. If you show up, cool. But I understand if you don’t come around.”

With a small upturn of his lips, Louis nodded. He bit at the inside of his cheek, watching Niall turn towards the woods on the opposite side of the creek, away from where Louis and Harry’s little cabin in the woods was located.

Just when the beta was beginning to duck through the trees, Louis cleared his throat. “Louis. My name is Louis,” he called out, blushing lightly.

A wide grin spread over Niall’s features. “Louis. Nice to meet ya,” he hummed and gave a little salute before disappearing into the thick brush.

It was a few moments before Louis was ready to go. Shifting his weight on top of Libby and clicking against his cheek, he steered Libby around to make their way home. Home to their cozy little cabin, home to his girl Kayah, and home to his alpha.

The next morning, Louis blinked awake. Excitement instantly filled his chest and bubbled in his tummy. He wasn’t sure yesterday if he would go back to the creek, but the instant he woke up that morning he knew he would return. Harry still couldn’t know, but seeing another being in the world that wasn’t trying to kill him had shone a light in a darkness that he didn’t even know had existed.

In the shower, Louis hummed to himself and rubbed over his still pretty flat tummy, and soaped up his hair. When he stepped out of the bathroom and into the living room with nothing more than a clean pair of panties on, he immediately felt Harry’s eyes on him.

He was sprawled out on the couch, Kayah curled up next to him with her head propped up on his knee and the guitar lay forgotten on the floor. He was wearing the same gray t-shirt from the night before, a grass stain still pressed into the thinning material from stargazing together in the middle of the horse pasture. The cotton stretched over his shoulders, his muscles pulling the sleeves tight over his biceps.

“Hey,” Louis hummed as he passed by Harry on the sofa to get a cup of hot cocoa. He was really beginning to miss coffee. Even if the beans were going stale and losing their flavor from being roasted so long ago.

“Good morning, kitten,” Harry murmured, his head turning as he watched Louis float through the living room. “What are you up to today?”

Louis nibbled on his bottom lip, plucking a mug from the drying rack and pouring a bit of powdered hot cocoa mix. “Just going for a ride, I think. I might pick some flowers for the table, bring a little bit of sunshine into the room.” On the stove, he poured a bit of fresh milk from the previous day into a small pot and let it warm up.

From the living room, Harry nodded and stroked his hand down Kayah’s back. “Alright. Want me to come with you? I can take a break from my project,” he offered.

With a soft smile, Louis shook his head and turned to face Harry. “That’s okay, Alpha. You’re working on furniture for the pup, that’s more important than going on a ride with me. We’ve got to be prepared for our little one.” His hand skated over the tiny layer of pudge on his stomach, tilting his head to the side.

“As long as you’re sure, baby. Bring your gun with you. You forgot it on the bench yesterday.”

“Did I? I’m sorry, I’ll remember to bring it this time, I promise.” Louis dangled his hand over the pot, just about an inch above the surface of his milk to test the temperature. Once it was warm enough, he added it to his mug and brought the cocoa and a spoon over to the couch.

He plopped down next to Harry, stirring his cocoa slowly and blowing lightly on his steaming morning hot chocolate. As he sat down, Kayah crawled over to wedge herself between Harry and Louis’ bodies. As he sat nestled on the couch with his two favorite beings in the world, he couldn’t help but let a small smile creep across his face as he thought about them adding one more to their family.

After lunch, Louis sent Harry out to the barn to work on the rocking chair he was trying to make for Louis to sit in when his belly was full of their pup and his back and ankles were swollen from use. Once their pup was born, it would be the perfect place to sit with their little one while Louis fed him or her and rocked them to sleep.

He watched Harry go with his blue eyes cloudy with love and adoration, taking notice of the happy sway in Harry’s gait as he walked towards the barn. After Louis had revealed he was pregnant, Harry had taken to keeping his head lifted high and his chest puffed proudly. It was adorable, to see Harry so full of pride and love for their unborn pup. He was a wonderful alpha and would be just as wonderful as a father.

With a smile, Louis brushed his hair off his forehead and brought the saddle, bridle, and blanket to tack up Libby before they would head out on their adventure together. This time, he would bring Kayah with him. She, along with the small pistol strapped to his hip, would protect Louis against any dangers that the day might pose, though Louis had a feeling Niall would give them no trouble.

He was looking forward to seeing the beta again, and this time he would be more willing to talk to him. It was true that it had only been a day since they’d met but he could tell just from Niall’s body language and his very mild scent that he meant no harm and wouldn’t hurt Louis. It was just his omega instincts.

The ride back to the creek took longer today than it had the day before. Kayah had outgrown the saddlebag they were using to carry her, leaving Louis with no other option than to let her trot along next to Libby as they wandered through the forest. Her short legs resulted in small steps, meaning Libby and Louis had to stop every twenty minutes to let her catch up. Louis didn’t entirely mind, though his insides were doing anxious flips as they rode closer to their destination.

It wasn’t like Louis was scared at all, he was just nervous. He’d only had the opportunity to talk with Harry for around six months and before him, it was another year or so that he had gone without interacting with another human being. He didn’t know what to talk about, how to react, or even be around Niall. The beta seemed friendly and outgoing, Louis just hoped he wouldn’t mind if the easy flowing conversation wasn’t returned.

Around him, the grass grew more lush and the moss that covered the rocks grew thicker. He was getting close. The trees, flowers, and shrubs were flowering, their scent fragrant in the light breeze that blew through the leaves and rustled Libby’s mane.

Next to the bubbling creek sat Niall, in the exact same clothes as the previous day with messy greasy hair as he splashed a bit of water on his face. When Libby whinnied as the three of them approached the creek, the beta’s head shot up, water dripping down his face. With the back of his hands, he wiped away the droplets and grinned a wide, friendly smile at Louis.

“Louis! You came back!” Niall called, glancing at the young wolf pup that was staring at him and growling softly. “And you brought company.”

With a nod of his head, Louis pulled back on the reins and shifted his weight to bring the appaloosa to a halt. He cleared his throat and gripped the horn of the saddle. “That’s Kayah,” he said softly, eyes flicking around the clearing nervously.

“Hiya Kayah. And who is this beautiful lady?” Niall asked, getting up and wandering over to Libby’s side to pet her and scratch her forehead.

Louis shifted back, biting on his bottom lip. “Libby.”

“Nice to see you again, Libby,” Niall hummed and back up to return to his perch next to the creek. “Nice to see both of you again. I didn’t think you’d show up. I thought maybe my obnoxious oversharing scared you off,” he joked.

Again, Louis nodded and took a deep breath before slowly slipping off Libby’s back and leading her over to the water for a drink, Kayah standing guard as she lowered her head and glared at the strange beta she had never seen before. It was only when Louis squatted and scooped her up that her growling ceased and she returned to her usual playful and cuddly self, nosing at Louis’ chin and licking at his hands.

He sat next to Niall, still three feet away as he found another large rock to sit on.

A few moments of quiet settled between them, Niall patiently waiting until Louis felt comfortable before he would talk.

He sucked his lips between his teeth and snuck his hand into his pocket to pull out a fresh roll of bread wrapped in a scrap of cloth. He glanced up to meet Niall’s gaze and held the roll out to him, blushing and jiggling his leg nervously.

The beta’s eyes practically bugged out of his head as he accepted the wrapped piece of bread. Holding it up to his nose, he took a deep breath and let out an airy laugh of disbelief. “Bread? How the fuck did you find bread?”

Louis ducked his head and fiddled with a loose thread on his leggings. “Made it.”

“You made this? Fuck, how did you bake fresh bread?” Niall breathed, pressing his nose to the roll and inhaling deeply with a faraway smile on his lips.

Louis didn’t answer, twirling the thread around his finger.

“Well fuck. Thanks,” Niall laughed and shoved it in his mouth, moaning at the rich and buttery flavor on his tongue as he struggled to chew the whole roll he somehow managed to fit in one bite.

His gaunt cheeks stretched around the lump of bread, making him look like a bit of a chipmunk with chubby cheeks and wide eyes.

Louis giggled softly, shrugging and pulling his knees up to his chest. “You looked hungry.”

Niall nodded, chewing and breathing heavily around the roll. “Starved. Haven’t had anything homemade in forever,” he slurred in a muffled voice. He hummed happily, eyes fluttering shut as he swallowed bit by bit until there was nothing left. “Fuck that was good.”

“Thanks,” Louis whispered and rested his chin on his knees, petting his hand down Kayah’s back where she was laying next to his hip.

“My mates are gonna be so jealous,” the beta snickered and patted his flat belly like he’d just eaten an entire three-course Thanksgiving meal.

“M-mates?” Louis asked nervously, his breath hitching as his head snapped around to scan over his surroundings.

“Oh, yeah. I live in a campground with a few others. Two and a half hours away from here. I came alone, don’t worry.”

Louis’ eyes narrowed as he studied the skinny man’s face, searching for the lie in his eyes.

“I live with four others. Two more betas and an alpha and his omega,” Niall explained.

Thoughts raced through Louis’ head as he ran over the possibilities. Maybe someone was waiting in the woods, ready to pounce on him to take him away from his alpha. Perhaps this small ragtag group was just looking for resources to take and would find Louis and Harry’s cabin and steal everything they had. Or maybe they were a small group of friends who were just trying to survive in their new world.

There wasn’t a way to know for sure.

Not yet at least.

“I haven’t told any of them about you. I’m pretty sure Liam would kill me. That’s the alpha in our group. He’s a good lad but pretty paranoid. I get it though. He’s trying to protect his omega. Zayn reminds me of you in some ways. I assume you’re pretty badass and strong, just like he is. This world is fuckin horrible to omegas but you’ve both made it. He’s pretty cool. I think you’d like him,” Niall hummed as he rambled on.

“Melissa is the other beta of our group. She used to be an engineer before everything happened. Or something like that. She’s wicked smart and loves to remind us of it too. She can be a bit of a holy joe sometimes, but she’s a good lass,” Niall went on, splashing water on his face and scrubbing the dirt off his face. “What did you do before?”

Louis smoothed his hands over his leggings and pulled his lips into a tight line. “I worked at a daycare. Wanted to go to school for dance but it wasn’t in the cards for me.”

“Are you from here?”

“No. I was from Vermont but we moved north to Montreal when things started to go bad. My mom and I moved with my little sisters to take care of my grandma. She died pretty much immediately after we moved up here but it was too late for us to go back home,” Louis explained with a quiet voice, keeping his eyes downcast as he spoke.

“What about your mate? Are they still alive?” Niall asked, gesturing loosely to the mark on Louis’ neck.

It took a few moments for Louis to answer. For as long as he and Harry had been mated, he’d never had to think about anyone seeing his bond mark. His mark hadn’t been used as a signifier that he was mated, it was just part of him now. That little pink puckered mark on his neck had never been seen by anyone but Harry and he had almost forgotten that it told the world that he was taken.

He blinked at Niall, his fingers creeping up to brush against the raised mark on his neck. “Oh. Um, yeah he is.”

In another world, before everything had changed he would have presented his mark proudly. He would have worn low cut shirts and tilted his head to the side in public, showing off his marked neck. It would have made him proud to have others notice his mark and respect that he was a mated omega. It wouldn’t have felt like a threat.

“I wish I had a mate,” Niall sighed and kicked at a pebble next to his beat-up sneaker. There was a hole in the toe of his left shoe, showing his filthy socks that were nearly gray from the dirt and mud. “Liam and Zayn seem so happy, just wish I could experience that eventually. Sorry if this is all a bit much. I don’t have much of a filter.”

All Louis could do was shrug his shoulders as he listened to him, staring at the knobby knees that poked through the holes in Niall’s baggy jeans.

Niall chewed on his lip and pulled on the thread hanging from the corner of the ripped knees. “I haven’t met anyone new in months. I’m a little nervous and when I’m nervous I ramble and say random shit. Sorry,” he laughed, but it came out as mostly breath.

“S okay. You’re the first person I’ve met too. Well, the first one that didn’t try to kill or hurt me at least,” Louis admitted.

Niall blinked at Louis, his mouth pulled down into a frown and deep creases cut into his forehead. “Really?”

Louis nodded. “Yeah. There were two alphas that we came across that tried to kill my alpha and take me.”

“That’s fucking terrible. People are so fucked up. This bullshit post-apocalypse nightmare is fucking with people’s brains and society has gone to shit,” Niall muttered angrily.

“I know. I just wish there was something we could do. It’s too dangerous though. It’s better that I just stay hidden away and live off the grid.”

“Does your alpha know about me? I can’t imagine he wouldn’t come with you,” Niall asked as he glanced around at the trees, as if searching for signs that maybe Harry was watching them.

His fringe fell in his eyes as he shook his head rapidly. “God no. He’d never let me come back here. He’d probably pack up all our things and run if he knew there was anyone near by, much less a group.”

He could feel Niall’s eyes on him as he scratched behind Kayah’s ears, earning a happy tail wag and a lick to his hand.

“We’d never hurt anyone. Our little group was attacked once by a crazy alpha in rut that was trying to get to Zayn, but we fought him off. All we want is to just survive. Maybe live long enough to see our world begin to heal and move on from all of this,” Niall said, gesturing broadly with his hands.

“Me too,” Louis whispered, glancing down at his tummy and attempting to control the urge to rub his small belly hidden beneath his t-shirt. He longed for nothing more than to see the world become a place where he didn’t have to worry so much about the future of his pup. A world where he could watch his pup thrive and make beautiful memories.

Louis wrapped his arms around Niall loosely, giving him a quick hug goodbye before he climbed up onto Libby’s saddle to make his way home after a long afternoon of chatting and getting to know Niall.

In a world of so much evil and ugliness, it brought him hope to know people like Niall existed. Happy, cheerful individuals that shone like sunshine and offered a future of friendship.

Clouds were rolling in over Louis’ head, hiding the rays of the sun with dark gray plumes of fog. It smelled like rain and he didn’t want to be caught out in the woods without something to keep him warm and dry so they agreed to each go their own separate ways. But not before promising to come back in three days' time to see each other once again.

He knew he probably had Niall’s vague scent of apples lingering on his skin from their brief hug, barely detectable under the layer of dirt and grime that hung on the beta’s skin. Beta’s did naturally have much softer scents that weren’t as easy to pick up on, but Harry was observant. He would notice if Louis had another scent on him, so he rubbed some pine needles over his arms and splashed water over the back of his neck in an attempt to cover up Niall’s scent.

Harry didn’t seem to notice that evening when Louis returned to their cabin and was pulled into his alpha’s strong embrace. His breath hitched ever so slightly as Harry’s nose pressed into the gland under his jaw, nervous that he’d be able to smell the whispers of apple under his own scent of peaches and the layer of dirt that was smeared over his skin.

“Have yourself a little play in the mud, baby?” Harry teased playfully and pressed a soft kiss to his pink cheek.

Louis giggled as Harry’s beard scratched across his soft skin. “You know how much our girl likes to wrestle,” he murmured, glancing down at the wolf pup pawing at Harry’s shin. “Just got a little messy.”

Harry hummed happily, pine and vanilla oozing from his glands with his slow lazy smile. “Why don’t you go hop in the shower and then we can cuddle while we eat dinner. I missed you today.”

“Of course, Alpha. I missed you too. I didn’t think I’d be gone for so long, I took a nap next to the creek,” Louis lied and nuzzled his nose against Harry’s before pulling away to retreat to the cabin, but not before Harry’s hand grasped his wrist and tugged him closer for one more kiss.

He hated lying to Harry. It felt wrong and set his tummy in knots. He ached to tell Harry about Niall, but if he told him, there was no doubt in his mind that Harry would freak out and begin packing their bags to make a run for it.

Lately, his alpha instincts were in overdrive as he prepared for the arrival of their pup. Every day, Harry would take his shotgun and wander the woods surrounding the vicinity of their home, like he was doing a perimeter check. If he knew there was a group close by, he wouldn’t listen to Louis’ promises that they meant no harm. There would be no reasoning with him.

For now, it was better to hide it from Harry until Louis could meet the rest of the group and make sure they were as harmless as Niall said they were.

Someday he would tell Harry. He would. He’d have to.

Until then, Louis would just have to keep meeting with Niall every few days and return home to his alpha covered in dirt and leaves to hide the evidence.

He had a good feeling about Niall and his group. He couldn’t quite explain it, perhaps it was his omega instincts. Though he’d only known Niall for a full two days, he had the gnawing feeling that their futures were tied together somehow.

He just had to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Thoughts?


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Early update!

Steam poured out of the oven when Louis opened the door, pluming in a cloud around him and turning his cheeks a soft pink hue from the heat. With a huff, Louis wiped the back of his hand across his forehead and blew his fringe out of his eyes as he pulled the cake from the oven.

Harry had been having a rough few days lately and Louis just wanted to do something nice for his alpha to bring a smile to his face. After four sleepless nights, the alpha was walking around like a zombie, dark circles like shadows under his eyes and permanent creases denting into his forehead with stress.

He had no clue what had triggered the recent nightmares. Each night, after Harry tossing and turning to try to get comfortable enough to fall asleep he would wake up in the middle of the night with sweat pouring down his face and his body trembling.

Every time, he refused to tell Louis what his dreams were about. It wasn’t like Louis was stupid. He knew that they had something to do with their pup. When Harry finally pulled himself out of his dream or breathed through an anxiety attack, all he wanted to do was press his face against the soft bump that had recently grown to a swollen tummy in the last few weeks.

It was hard to see Harry in so much distress. He did his best to assure Harry that everything was fine, but his mate would pinch his bottom lip between his fingers with a deep wrinkle between his brows as he stared at Louis’ belly. The walks that he had gone on a few weeks ago to do perimeter checks were becoming more frequent and Louis had noticed he started leaving a gun at the door to their bedroom.

Luckily, most of Louis’ morning sickness had diminished, though if he had eggs he still would get waves of nausea that would have him running to the toilet, so he had learned to stay away from eggs. What he didn’t expect was to get strong cravings for cucumber. He had heard of the typical pregnancy cravings like pickles, peanut butter, or ice cream but the strong desire for cucumber took him by surprise. He was just glad that Harry typically grew cucumber anyway and he was able to pluck one from the garden to fulfill his craving.

In an attempt to help calm Harry down and ease his horrible dreams, Louis hadn’t seen Niall very often. Maybe once or twice a week they would agree to meet up at the creek and with every meeting, Louis made sure to rub himself down with moss, dirt, or pine to try to cover up Niall’s subtle scent. Perhaps he was being a bit paranoid, but he couldn’t risk Harry finding out just yet. The guilt of knowing he hadn’t told Harry about finding the beta, despite it having been four weeks since they had met plagued him every day.

He may not be able to take away Harry’s nightmares, but he could sure as hell dote on him and remind him that he’s loved and cared for him. Hence the cake.

He’d had to opt for carrot cake, considering their lack of baking ingredients. He’d also debated making a vanilla cake but figured he could make good use of the carrots they had grown in the garden patch and some of the spices Harry had found a few months back.

The warm aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger wafted through the cabin, curling through the air. The steam swirled around the light early summer breeze that shifted the sheer curtains through the open windows and carried the scent of freshly baked goods through their home.

On days like this, he could hardly tell the state of the world they were in. Everything seemed so perfect. A cake was cooling on the countertop, Harry was just outside with a scrap of sandpaper and the rocking chair that had taken him weeks to build, while Kayah lazed on the front porch. It felt like home.

Taking a deep breath, Louis hummed and untied the apron from around his waist, hanging it up on the little hook by the fridge. He smoothed his hands down the loose floral print dress he was wearing and skated his hands over the small bump under his belly button. His bump was still relatively small, but definitely growing.

Not three weeks ago he had gone to put a pair of shorts on that he hadn’t worn in a while. Up until that point, he’d been opting for dresses and leggings because they were more comfortable. On a particularly hot day, he’d pulled a pair of shorts up his legs and wiggled his hips to get them over his widening hips.

When he’d finally gotten them over his hips, he pulled on the zipper but was only able to move it an inch. He had sat there and stared at the zipper that wouldn’t budge. For a few moments, he did nothing but stare. It wasn’t until Harry walked into their bedroom to grab a pair of socks that Louis finally looked up.

“Harry?” He had asked quietly, carefully watching his alpha snatch up a pair of socks and plop down on the bed to slip them on his feet.

“Yes, baby?”

Louis paused, nibbling on his bottom lip shyly. “Have I – Have I gained weight?”

Harry froze.

Slowly, he had looked up from his frozen hands and swallowed thickly. “Um. I mean – Um,” he stammered, studying Louis’ face and searching for insecurity.

Louis’ eyes were soft and his fingers fumbled with the button of his denim shorts nervously.

“I mean, baby,” Harry murmured and stood up, walking over to Louis and stilling his trembling hands. “Sweet Omega,” he whispered with a smile and lifted one small hand to brush his lips over his knuckles. “Your body is preparing. It’s growing and making room for our pup. You’re amazing and I think it’s incredible that you’re carrying my pup. God, you don’t even know what it does to me to know that my pup is in there.”

Large hands splayed over the swell of his stomach and caressed his naked skin with the rough pads of Harry’s fingers.

Immediately after, Harry had pushed him back on the bed and stripped all of the clothes from him until he was laid bare in the middle of their bed. He proceeded to pepper light kisses over every part of his body, showering him with soft words and gentle praises.

Louis smiled at the memory and patted his bump before poking his head out the front screen door, using his hand to shade his eyes as he peered out into the afternoon sun.

“Harry?” He called out, stepping out onto the deck and waving Harry over when he spotted him over the lumber pile.

As Harry came walking over his green t-shirt clung to his muscles with sweat, drawing Louis’ attention from the mess of curls on his head to the way his shirt stretched over his shoulders and defined his broad physique. 

“What’s up, buttercup?” Harry hummed and grabbed his water bottle from the front step, gulping down half of it.

Louis cleared his throat, trying to get himself to focus on speaking and not just staring at Harry dreamily. “I made something for you. I wanted to do something nice, so I baked up a cake. It’s carrot.”

Dimples dipped into Harry’s cheeks as he grinned at his mate. “Really? Thanks, Peachy. I’m excited to try it.” He sniffed the air and hummed happily. “I can smell it already, smells amazing. I have the best omega in the whole world.”

Louis giggled, shrugging his shoulders and feeling his cheeks grow warm as they pinked up. “I wouldn’t say I’m the best in the whole world but I’m the best one you’ve got.”

“Nah. Definitely the best in the world. And the sexiest,” Harry insisted. He took a step closer and wrapped his arms around Louis.

Louis smiled as Harry’s rough hands skated over his back, his fingertips toying with the hem of Louis’ dress. His eyes focused on the pink purse of lips as Harry leaned closer. In a soft press of lips, he melted under strong alpha hands.

Moments later, Harry’s grip moved from his back to his plump bottom, massaging the thick flesh under silky panties.

Louis shivered as Harry leaned in and mouthed at his neck, lips dragging over his pink mark.

“Come on, baby. Let me show you how much I appreciate that cake and then we can have a slice after,” Harry hummed, his voice a rumble in his chest as he spoke.

Louis whimpered and nodded eagerly, biting his bottom lip as he glanced up at Harry through his lashes. “Take me to bed, Alpha.”

The growl that came from Harry’s chest warmed Louis’ belly as he allowed himself to be tugged into the cabin and towards the bedroom.

When the backs of his knees hit the edge of the mattress, Louis fell easily back into the soft cushion of their bed. He landed with a bounce before reaching up to Harry with grabby hands, whining at the dark hooded eyes Harry was watching him with.

Harry hummed and crawled up Louis’ body, his weight settling over the boy as he mouthed up the flimsy fabric covering Louis’ torso and top portion of his legs.

Warmth spread through Louis’ veins like ink into water. Each brush of lips sent shivers down his spine and flutters in his tummy.

“Alpha, please,” he whispered, pouting as he arched his back and wiggled under Harry’s broad frame. “Need you.”

“Yeah, baby? What do you need?” Harry asked, a smirk toying at his lips as he slowly slid the hem of the dress up Louis’ thighs.

Blue eyes fluttered shut. “You. Need your cock in me,” Louis breathed.

“You sure? I don’t know if I believe you,” Harry chuckled against Louis’ collarbone.

“Please, Harry. Please, I need your cock so bad. Need it in me,” he couldn’t help but beg, pushing his chest up against Louis’ lips.

A warm tongue dragged against his skin, only to disappear and be replaced with a sharp set of teeth as Harry nipped little dark marks into honey golden skin. “Gonna beg for me? Beg for my knot like a good little omega?”

Louis nodded eagerly and grasped at Harry’s messy curls, dragging his nails over his scalp. “Please. I need to be filled, want it so bad. Need it more than anything. Please, please let me have it. I’ll be good,” he babbled, his mind going a little fuzzy and foggy.

When Harry’s hands slipped under the skirt of his dress, he bit his lip and let out a shaky breath at the sensation of rough fingers on the bulge of his panties.

He leaned up and lapped at the salty skin under Harry’s jaw, feeling the prickly hair scrape against his tongue as he bathed his alpha in his attention. “Please, feel too empty. Need your thick knot, Alpha,” he whispered.

Finally, _finally,_ Harry’s hand yanked down the material covering Louis’ little cock and tugged it down his thick thighs before tossing his panties off to the side.

“Good boy. You need it, don’t you? Need to be filled all the time,” Harry grunted, his pupils blown wide as he rubbed his palm over Louis’ prick. A chuckle bubbled in his chest when Louis’ head bobbed excitedly, using his grip to pin Louis’ hips down. “Such a good omega.”

Louis felt feverish with it all, feeling slick slip in droplets down his crack and wet the back of his dress. If he could see himself, he’d notice his flushed cheeks, glassy eyes, and glossy lips as he gazed up at Harry in awe.

He gasped, Harry’s hand had moved to brush over his quivering hole. “In. Please. In, in, in!” he pleaded, spreading his legs obscenely and shifting his hips to try to get Harry’s finger to slip inside.

 _Smack_.

His mouth fell open in a silent intake of air, his ass smarting with the slap of Harry’s hand against sensitive skin.

In a moment of softness, Harry nuzzled Louis’ jaw and licked at his bond mark. “Okay?” He asked gently, smoothing his hand over the red handprint on Louis’ cheek.

“Yes,” Louis breathed and smiled up at Harry. “Love you, Alpha.”

His hum buzzed against Louis’ throat as Harry nodded and peppered kisses over his throat. “I love you too, little one.”

Louis parted his lips to speak again but was rendered speechless when two of Harry’s fingers plunged into his hole, a high whine coming out.

“Fuck, you’re so wet. So open and ready for me already, aren’t you?”

Louis’ head bobbed, his hips grinding down against Harry’s fingers.

He whimpered at the loss of touch, pouting when Harry pulled out his fingers and grabbed at Louis’ dress. It was a bit of a struggle to get the dress out from underneath him, but soon Louis’ dress joined his panties on the floor and he lay bare.

“So beautiful, baby. Look so gorgeous,” Harry murmured, pulling back and ripping his shirt over his head and his shorts shoved down his legs until he was naked. “Can’t wait any longer. Need to be in you.”

“Please,” Louis agreed, using his locked ankles around Harry’s waist to pull him closer until he could feel the bulbous head of his cock nudging against his rim. Slick gushed out of his hole as his rim fluttered open to let Harry in.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Harry pushed his cock inch by inch into the omega. With a long exhale, Harry propped himself up when he was fully seated inside of his boy, his chest heaving.

Louis was barely more than a puddle of happy omega, content to feel so full of his alpha.

“You love being full of me, don’t you?” Harry growled. “Full of my cock, full of my cum.” He leaned down and nipped at the sensitive skin on Louis’ throat with his first thrust. “Full of my pup.”

His broad hand splayed over the swell of Louis’ tummy, rubbing his thumb over his belly button. “Gonna be such a good mommy. Already so good,” he groaned and fucked into Louis’ tight heat.

With a few more thrusts, they were both rendered silent, the only sound in the room being the slap of skin and squelch of Louis’ wet slick.

Sweat dripped down Harry’s back, leaving a wet line down his spine between the scars that sliced through the thick muscle. Next to Louis’ head, Harry’s bicep bulged with the effort of holding himself up.

Arousal pooled in Louis’ lower tummy, barreling towards his release. His toes curled and his fingernails dug into Harry’s shoulder’s as his muscles all tightened and tension built up in his limbs, winding him tight like a spring.

The moment Harry’s knot swelled inside him, the tension was broken and he squirted his release over their chests, painting their skin white as his head fell back in ecstasy.

“Fuck, baby. So good. My good omega. Take me so well,” Harry grunted, burying his face in Louis’ neck as he fucked hard into Louis’ wet hole. As soon as his knot was locked in he came in ropes, filling Louis full as he moaned and panted against his clammy skin, peaches filling his senses.

Louis blushed and squirmed underneath his heavy alpha, linking his ankles around Harry to keep his bottom pressed to Harry’s lap in order to not pull uncomfortably at the knot nestled inside him. “Alpha,” he whispered and poked the thick muscles on Harry’s torso.

“Mmm?” Harry’s reply was muffled, his mouth pressed to the pink mark on Louis’ neck. His fingers lazily danced over Louis’ thigh, caressing the soft skin under his touch and soothing the omega’s squirming.

“Can we roll over? My back hurts,” he yawned, blinking blearily as he looked up at Harry with his hair fanned out on the pillow like a halo.

As he watched the sweet boy beneath him, Harry’s heart swelled in his chest and his gaze softened. He truly was the luckiest man in the entire world to be blessed with an adorable, soft, loving, and smart omega and he would never let himself forget that.

For so long, he had been convinced that he would be alone for the rest of his life. Before Louis had found his way into Harry’s life, he was numb. The routine of his everyday life, wake up, feed the animals, eat, go for a ride, eat, chop wood, check on the animals again, eat, and sleep only to repeat the exact same thing the next day. It was horribly mind-numbing and suffocating. It was practically a miracle that he hadn’t taken matters into his own hands and attempted to end his suffering.

After he discovered Louis, it was like his world went from black and white to seeing in full color. A world of bland monotony now held surprise and intrigue. The boring everyday tasks were fun with Louis by his side, his giggles, smiles, and jokes like a beacon of hope and sunshine in Harry’s day.

A pointy finger jabbing into his side yanked him from his daydream.

“Harry,” Louis huffed with his bottom lip pouting out adorably.

“Sorry, baby. What?” Harry murmured and nuzzled his nose against Louis’ jaw.

Louis giggled languidly and let his head loll to the side. “I said ‘can we roll over?’”

“Oh. Yeah, we can. Hang on.”

The tug on his rim had Louis hissing as Harry snuck his hand under the curve of his back and carefully moved them so he was on his back and Louis was now laying on top of him with his legs bracketing Harry’s hips. “Sorry, pup. Didn’t mean to pull.”

The pain had been fleeting, so Louis merely shrugged and nestled his face into Harry’s neck. The warm hand rubbing up and down his back had him practically melting under his alpha’s touch, a purr creeping up from his chest and escaping his lungs.

The two lay there for another ten minutes, Harry’s hand brushing over his spine and Louis’ lips pressed to Harry’s neck as his breath fanned over the tanned throat of his mate. He still smelled like sweat and wood shavings from his project outside, but the vanilla pine was hypnotic. Louis was sure he would do just about anything with Harry’s scent curling around him and fogging up his mind.

It wasn’t until the knot tucked inside him began to shrank that Louis remembered the cake that was probably completely cooled now. He let out a soft sigh and traced over the hummingbird tattoo on Harry’s chest. “Cake should be just about ready. Just have to add some icing,” he yawned.

Harry nodded and kissed the crown of his head, messy tufts of soft hair tickling his nose. “You sure you’re not too tired? We could take a nap.”

Louis snorted out a laugh and shook his head. “Babe, it’s nearly dinner time. If we nap now we won’t be able to sleep tonight. I’ll be fine for a few more hours. Plus, I want you to enjoy the cake that I made for you.” When his alpha finally agreed, Louis slowly sat up and pulled himself off of Harry’s softening cock, making a face at the wet slide that left him feeling open and empty.

He let Harry wipe up the cum that leaked out from him, wrinkling his nose at the slimy feeling of Harry’s release seeping out of him. With Louis being already pregnant, Harry didn’t bother to try to shove the cum back in in an unconscious desire to get Louis pregnant. Instead, he lifted his covered fingers to Louis’ lips and pressed them inside his mouth.

Louis hummed around Harry’s fingers, lapping up the dark and musky flavor of Harry’s cum. He suckled on Harry’s fingers for a moment longer than he needed to until Harry pulled them back and patted his thick thigh. “Thanks, Alpha.”

He watched as a soft smile floated across Harry’s lips and the green of his eyes went from emerald to muted moss. “You’re welcome, baby.”

Louis toyed with the sweater in his hands, thumbing over the soft threads before pressing it to his nose and inhaling. Harry’s scent was embedded deep in the burnt orange knit though not as strong as it was in the t-shirts and shorts Harry had been wearing lately. Louis smiled and hummed to himself. He examined the fuzzy pink blanket laid out in the corner of the second bedroom, eyeing the few pillows he had deemed worthy.

It was a slow process, arranging and rearranging articles of both of their clothing in the second room. This nest needed to be perfect. The others he used as more of a place to curl up with a good book or a place to take a nap. This nest though, he would be giving birth in this nest. He had debated giving birth in the bathtub for easier cleanup but he needed someplace safe. A place with their scents to surround him when he was at his most vulnerable.

He still had months to go, he knew that much, but with each passing week, he felt the increasing need to have something prepared. He didn’t do it every day, but he would occasionally sort through the clothes in their closet to find the softest pieces in the prettiest colors with both of their scents on it.

He tucked the sweater next to the blanket Harry had given him as his first courting gift and brushed his hands over the blanket. The door opened with a creak, pulling his attention from building his nest to Harry standing in his doorway.

“How’s your nest coming along?” Harry asked. “It looks good so far.”

Louis preened under Harry’s praise and smiled brightly up at him from his seat on the floor. “Thank you. It’s not done yet but I still have a few months. I wish I had some fairy lights. They’d be perfect hanging up in here.”

“I’ll take a look next time I need to do a run. Is there anything else I can get you to make this place perfect?” Harry asked, kneeling just outside of the nest. He wouldn’t enter without getting permission and he knew Louis wasn’t as willing to let him into this nest. He may not entirely understand it but he knew that this nest was different than the others.

Louis smoothed his hands over the wrinkled material of the blanket that made up the bottom of his nest. “Maybe just candles for the day I give birth. It might be nice to have something soothing around me.”

“I can do that. I think I might have a few candles hidden around here somewhere.” Harry watched Louis as he worked, studying his nimble hands and jittering fingers that twitched with the need to perfect the structure. “The rocking chair should be done soon. I’ve started drawing up plans for the crib too.”

With a slow grin, Louis leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to Harry’s cheek. “Thank you, H. I know both me and little peanut will love it.”

“Little peanut? Is that what we’re calling them now?” Harry teased and nudged Louis’ button nose with his own. “Is there anything else you think we’ll need for the nursery?”

“Well, I want to figure out how to knit or crochet little animals to make a mobile for above the crib and we’re going to need a changing table of sorts. Maybe you could just build a cabinet and it could double as a dresser when they’re older?”

Harry nodded and pecked a kiss to the tip of Louis’ nose. “Will do.” He settled back with his back resting against the wall and his legs spread out in front of him, twisting his necklace between his fingers as he continued to watch Louis work.

It was soothing to watch him. The way he picked each item up, lifting it to his nose and sniffing it before he would carefully set each piece down and tweak it until it was just right. There was something relaxing about observing his nesting. It was like watching a bumblebee float from flower to flower or seeing rain drip and drizzle against the windows with a soft pitter-patter.

Eventually Louis sat back on his heels and nodded to himself, happy with the progress he had made that day. Turning to his alpha, Louis crawled over to him and wedged himself between Harry’s legs with his back pressed to Harry’s chest. He pulled on Harry’s arms, wrapping them around himself as Harry chuckled quietly at his needy antics, forever endeared by his lovely boy.

His hands instantly found the swell of Louis’ belly, the bump bigger than it was even four days ago. He was growing quickly, which made it feel like it was next to impossible to actually know how far along he was. They’d known about the baby for nearly three months now but if Harry had to guess he would say that Louis might be close to four or five months pregnant.

Louis rested his head against Harry’s shoulder and settled his hands over Harry’s on his tummy, watching the birds flit from branch to branch through the open window and listening to their sweet spring song.

His mind wandered to that creek in the woods. He thought about Niall, that hilarious, spunky, and lovable beta that showed him that there were still good people in the world. He thought about his skinny fingers, his knobby knees, and the ribs that showed when he took off his soiled t-shirt to swim in the creek.

Every time he met with Niall, he would pack up a basket of food for him with bread, meats, and cheese when he and Harry had experimented with making cheeses at home. He had offered to bring more food with him for Niall’s friends but the beta had advised him against it. Evidently, Niall thought Liam would react similar to Harry. He was dominant, protective, and a little on the paranoid side – or so Niall claimed. Niall also said he was the kindest alpha he’s ever met though. That he worshiped the ground his omega walked on and would do anything to protect him.

From everything he had heard about Liam, he was convinced that Liam and Harry would get along well if they were to meet. Liam used to be in the military apparently. Before that, he was a high school social studies teacher who would coach his nephew’s baseball team. He was a good man, both then and now.

His mate, Zayn, sounded great too. Niall described him as quieter than Liam was and more introverted. He had been an interior designer living in Toronto but had fled the city when omegas started being harassed. Niall told him how Zayn and Liam met when Liam helped Zayn escape the city and flee to the more rural areas surrounding the city to hide.

He’d learned so much about Niall’s ragtag group, where they came from, what they did before everything fell, and how they found each other. He hoped one day he could meet them, they all seemed like good people just trying to survive on their own in the middle of nowhere camped out in tents. He held onto the hope that when he eventually told Harry about Niall, that his alpha would agree to meet the beta and would be open enough to consider joining up with the group.

He couldn’t help but think about what their future could look like if they joined up with another group. Their pup could have someone to play with if Liam and Zayn were to ever have a pup of their own and Harry could have a friend. They both could have friends and the extra hands could be helpful with tending to the garden and animals. Maybe they could even build a small town with a few different cottages for everyone to live in.

He pictured his pup romping through the grass with another young toddler, giggling and smiling happily as Kayah joined in on the fun. On the porch, he and Harry would watch their child play while they sipped iced tea and held hands in the warm summer sun. Maybe they could actually have more than one pup even. Maybe they could have a handful of pups that would run wild and free without a care in the world, protected by the seven adults and shielded from the darkness.

As he daydreamed about a future he longed to have, he felt a flutter in his stomach. It felt like when his stomach would rumble when he was hungry, but he wasn’t hungry at all. It didn’t feel quite like gas either, it just felt like a flicker. Louis furrowed his brows and looked down at his tummy.

There it was again. Just a light flutter right below his belly button.

When the realization hit, Louis’ eyes widened and his lips parted.

“Oh my god. Harry,” Louis whispered, gripping Harry’s hand.

“Hmm?” Harry hummed, his eyes closed and his head leaned back against the wall as he rested, half asleep almost.

“I think – I think I just felt something,” Louis breathed, gazing down at the gentle slope of his belly.

Behind him, Harry pulled himself up a little straighter and opened his eyes. “Something? Like something with the baby?”

Louis bit his bottom lip, the corners of his lips quirking up in a slow smile. “I think so. I just felt them move.”

The hand on Louis’ belly that Harry had just been letting rest there now roamed the expanse of his belly as Harry peeked his head over Louis’ shoulder to look down at it. “Really?” He breathed, his breath tickling Louis’ neck.

Louis nodded. “Yeah. Right down here.” He moved Harry’s hand to underneath his belly button, pulling his dress up so Harry could feel his bare skin. They waited a few moments until Louis felt another flutter. “There! There it was. Did you feel it?” He asked excitedly, tears brimming in his eyes.

“No. I – I can’t feel it,” Harry admitted, his lower lip pouting. “Why can’t I feel it?”

“I don’t know for sure. Maybe I’m just not far enough along? This is the first time I’ve ever felt them move, maybe you won’t be able to feel it for a little while,” Louis said softly, rubbing his hand over top of Harry’s. “You’ll get to feel them soon, I’m sure of it.”

Harry nodded, unable to help the disappointment he felt at not being able to feel their pup move for the first time. As disappointed as he was, he still was over the moon that their pup was growing and now moving inside of Louis. It was such a good sign, to know that their little one was alive and well. Though they both had a hard time admitting it, Louis and Harry had been a little worried about their pup and whether or not they would survive the first trimester. Now that Louis was in his second trimester and the baby was moving, Harry felt the weight of worry melt away.

Harry let out a shaky breath and rubbed his thumb over Louis’ belly. “They’re okay. Our pup is alive,” he whispered and blinked back the prickle of tears. “Baby, our pup is moving.”

With a soft giggle, Louis nodded and sniffled wetly. “Yeah. Our pup,” he murmured and grinned when he felt another flutter. “H, I can’t even describe what this feels like. I mean physically it feels like just a fluttering in my tummy but fuck. I just – I’m having a baby.”

Harry laughed softly and pressed a kiss to Louis’ shoulder, his vision blurring with the tears he couldn't hold back. “Yes, you are. You’re a mommy. The best mama in the world.”

Harry slipped on his old leather boots and grabbed his rifle from its place by the front door. It was only six in the morning, time for his daily morning perimeter check. With one final glance towards the bedroom where Louis was probably curled up in the middle of their bed with his hands holding his belly, Harry smiled. After feeling the baby move for the first time yesterday, Louis was constantly touching and holding his belly. When he cooked, he held one hand on his belly, in the shower he would cradle it in both hands, and while he read he’d prop his book up on his bump. It was adorable and practically brought tears to his eyes every time.

He quietly slipped out the front door, wincing as the hinges groaned and shut it with just a quiet thud. It was early still, and the fog that rolled in almost every night still lingered low to the ground. As far as he could see white misty fog hung on the tall grass and crept up the bark of the trees. The world felt quieter. More peaceful.

Harry could feel his hair frizz up into tighter curls with the moisture in the air, but that would subside later in the day when the fog dissipated. As he walked, his boots squelched through mud and tugged through the long grass as his feet got tangled in the long blades.

He walked around the barn first, his gun loaded but resting against his shoulder with the safety off. It was just a precaution. He rounded the pasture and then looped around to the back side of the cabin. With the fog, he couldn’t see much of anything. It didn’t worry him at all, he’d done perimeter checks every day for the past few weeks and never saw a thing that would raise suspicion.

He stopped by the window to the kitchen and unloaded his gun. He didn’t like to keep a loaded gun in the cabin. He could sense that it bothered Louis to have a gun just laying around their home with bullets in it, so he always made sure to leave it unloaded and a box of shells on the bench next to it in case he needed them.

Harry grumbled as he dropped one of his brass bullets and sighed, bending down to look through the long grass. Bullets were a rare commodity, one that he never wanted to be low on so he would never just leave a bullet in the grass. He might need that bullet. That could be a bullet that saved his life or that of his mate.

As he pushed aside the long grass, he spotted the gleam of its casing and plucked it from the mud. He pocketed the bullet when he spotted something white in the grass.

Harry crouched down in the grass to get a closer look and furrowed his brows at the two cigarette butts. They looked like the same brand he normally smoked, but he didn’t remember ever smoking here. Usually, he went out to the back deck to smoke and he almost never just left the butts in the grass.

He pulled them from the grass and studied them, sniffing the wet paper and smelling nothing on them. Odd. He must’ve dropped the butts or just forgot having smoked here once. He shook his head and pocketed them before turning back to the cabin, the soggy cigarettes stashed in the pocket of his jeans. How strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see more of! I'm curious to see if there's anything you're curious about or have questions about and if there's anything I've written about that you'd like more info on or want to see me explore more in this fic :) Comments make my day!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! Two updates in one week! ;)

Louis slid off Libby’s back and rubbed his hand over her neck gently. “Good girl,” he hummed and clasped a lead rope to her halter before securing it to a nearby tree with enough slack to allow her to drink from the stream and graze on the grass while remaining covered by the shade of the oak tree. He’d left Kayah home with Harry today, the alpha had mentioned something about wanting to train her.

With a hand on his belly, Louis wandered over to the bank of the creek and spread a blanket out on the pebbles, a basket of food in hand. He could only hope that Niall would show up today. He felt bad, it had been almost two weeks since he’d last met up with him and he had his fingers crossed that Niall hadn’t given up on meeting with him. He’d grown attached to Niall and he’d missed seeing him.

He loved his life with Harry. He adored the early mornings cuddled in bed, laying in the bathtub with Harry behind him rubbing his bump, and the evenings they would spend on the front deck playing an old game of monopoly with makeshift tokens because the originals were lost.

His life was amazing. It was full of love and excitement for their pup.

But it was still missing something.

It was missing hope.

Leaves rustled behind him, followed by an excited laugh.

“Louis!” A familiar voice called out.

Louis spun around from his seat on the blanket and grinned. “Nialler!”

Louis sprung to his feet just in time for Niall to crash into him and wrap his arms around the omega.

“Oh, man. I missed you, boyo!” Niall laughed.

“I missed you too,” Louis agreed, nuzzling into Niall’s arms. “Sorry it’s been so long.”

With a shrug, Niall patted Louis’ back and plopped down onto the blanket. “So what did you bring me this time around?” He asked and eagerly flipped open the top of the basket. He gasped when he saw what was inside. “No fucking way.”

Louis giggled, sitting down across from Niall and resting his hands on his belly. “I thought you might like it. Blueberries are in season.”

He watched as Niall pulled one of the blueberry muffins from the basket and held it to his nose, inhaling the scent deeply. They were fresh. Louis had just baked them this morning and had snuck three of them into his basket without Harry noticing. Without any further hesitation, Niall shoved it into his mouth and moaned at the taste, his eyes falling shut and his head tilting back.

“Fuck,” he mumbled, crumbs spilling from his mouth as he tried to talk around a mouthful of muffin. “So good.”

Louis smiled and pulled his water bottle out of the basket, taking a few gulps. “I made them fresh this morning. I’ve been craving blueberries lately.”

Niall’s gaze dropped to Louis’ bump as he took another massive bite.

Louis hadn’t outright told Niall that he was pregnant. Niall had never asked either, opting to respect Louis’ privacy. It’s not like he didn’t know though, Louis’ growing belly couldn’t really be hidden very well under loose shirts anymore.

Louis hummed, laying on his back to gaze up at the clouds. “So what’ve you been up to since I last saw you?”

Niall wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and swallowed as much of the muffin in his mouth as he could before speaking. “Not much. Zayn went into heat last week so Melissa, Amil, and I had to camp a little ways away. I gotta say, heats and ruts fucking suck in the apocalypse. Not that I would know from first-person experience, but from a third-party perspective it sucks to have to pack up your tents and move so that your alpha friend doesn’t try to rip your head off just because you accidentally came across his omega in heat.”

Louis giggled and nodded. “I can imagine.”

“What about you? What’s new in the exciting life of Louis?” Niall asked, grabbing another muffin from the basket.

With a smile, Louis skated his palm over his belly. “I felt them move.”

Niall grinned as he watched Louis, his teeth nearly purple from the blueberries. “Awesome. What’s it feel like?”

Louis pursed his lips as he tried to find words to describe the sensation. “Like there’s a flutter in your belly. It wasn’t super strong, not enough for Harry to be able to feel it too. Not yet at least,” he said. “I think he was a bit disappointed. He just wants to be able to feel our pup move, to be able to feel the life growing.”

“Do you still feel them moving?” Niall asked.

“Every once in a while. Sometimes when I have either spicy food or really sweet food they move around a little more. Little peanut likes their sweets,” Louis hummed.

It was quiet for a few moments, Niall still munching away on the food Louis brought for him and Louis watching the clouds and listening to the gurgling of the creek.

“I’m sorry it’s been a while since I saw you last. Harry’s been really stressed out and I didn’t want to worry him,” Louis explained quietly. “He’s been having nightmares. He’s always had them, but the last month they’ve been more frequent. Sometimes he goes days without sleeping.”

Niall frowned. “That’s not healthy. Have you talked to him about it?”

Louis nodded with a sigh. “I’ve tried. He doesn’t like to tell me what his dreams are about, says I don’t need to hear those things. I think it hurts him too sometimes. Talking about them to me just brings it all back. I dunno. It’s been really hard.”

“You haven’t told him about me yet, have you?” Niall asked quietly.

With a shake of his head, Louis clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. “I don’t want to make his dreams worse. If he knew about you, he’d freak out. I know I have to tell him but I don’t know how at this point. We’ve been hanging out for almost a month now.”

“You need to tell him though, Louis.”

“I know I do,” Louis whispered. “God, I know I do.”

Niall offered Louis a reassuring smile before shoving the basket out of the way and scooting over to lay next to Louis. “It’s gonna be okay. From what I’ve heard he loves you so much. He might be upset and hurt at first, but you’ll make it through.”

“But what if he makes us run? What if we have to leave?”

Niall shrugged and wrapped an arm around Louis. “That’s okay. I care about you and I missed you the last week, but it is what it is. Your happiness and safety both matter more to me. As your friend, I’m telling you to come clean. If Harry decides it’s safer for you both to run, then go with him.”

Louis turned his head to look at Niall, taking in his freckled cheeks, crooked nose, and dirty hair. For as fun-loving and carefree as Niall seemed, he could be very serious and give great advice.

“Yeah?” Louis mumbled.

“Yeah,” Niall confirmed and rested his head on Louis’ shoulder.

Louis smiled softly and ruffled his fingers through Niall’s dirty brown hair. “You need a bath, bud. You stink,” he teased and poked Niall’s cheek.

Niall snorted and rolled his eyes, pushing Louis away from him. “Gee, thanks mate. You sure have a way with words,” he chuckled.

“Just saying. I wish I could bring you back to my home. Get you a warm shower and a hot meal.” Louis brushed his fingers over Niall’s shoulder, cringing at the bones that jut out under his skin. He longed to be able to bring Niall and his friends back to their cabin, to let them all get clean and finally have a meal that didn’t leave them feeling hungry.

He could feel the bones shift as Niall shrugged. “Maybe someday,” Niall hummed. “Let’s swim in the creek.”

Louis laughed and shook his head fondly at Niall’s suggestion.

“What? Too scared?” Niall teased and propped himself up with his hand. “Too much of a scaredy-cat to jump in the creek?”

“No,” Louis scoffed. “I just don’t feel like jumping into the water with all my clothes on.”

“Then don’t wear them. Just take ‘em off. C’mon Lou. Live a little,” Niall chuckled and jumped to his feet.

Louis rolled his eyes. “Niall, I am not going to swim around naked.”

“Well, I never said naked. Just keep your pants on, or boxers or whatever you call them here.”

Louis blushed and looked away from Niall as he tugged off his dingy t-shirt. “I don’t wear boxers.”

He could tell Niall had paused and turned to stare at him.

“Shut up,” Louis mumbled and fiddled with the band of his leggings.

It was quiet for a few moments.

“Well, suit yourself. I’m going swimming whether you join me or not,” Niall decided and yanked down his baggy jeans before running as fast as he could into the swirling water of the stream.

He tripped over rocks as the water lapped at his shins and then his thighs, squawking as he fell face-first into the water. Louis giggled, watching Niall’s flailing arms as he tried to regain his footing.

“You’re an idiot,” Louis called out to his friend and grinned when Niall held up his middle finger. “What? It’s true!”

“Just because it’s true doesn’t mean you have to say it out loud!” Niall shouted, floating on his back as the water washed away the dirt and grime that was smeared over his skin.

Louis rolled his eyes again and snickered as Niall splashed water in his direction.

“You’re missing out, Lou! The water’s not cold at all! If you weren’t such a pansy, you’d enjoy the water too!”

For a minute Louis sat there, watching Niall enjoy the water and soak in the rays of the sun that snuck through the thick leaves. It did look rather nice.

After another minute, Louis got to his feet and settled his hands on his hips. “Well, let the record show that I am no pansy.”

Niall looked over at him and beamed as Louis pulled his shirt off first and then his leggings. “Wey hey!” He cheered and clapped his hands. “That’sa good lad!”

With yet another roll of his eyes, Louis kept his eyes downcast as he waded into the water after Niall. He was glad he had worn one of his more modest pairs of panties that were cotton and covered a bit more. He widened his eyes and gasped as the cool water met his skin. “Fuck! Niall, I thought you said the water wasn’t cold!” He squealed.

The beta cackled as he floated closer to Louis. “It’s not. Maybe you’re just a wuss!”

Louis glared over at Niall and crossed his arms with determination as he stomped further into the water until the bubbling surface came up to his armpits. Slowly, his body acclimated to the chilled water that didn’t seem to be bothering Niall at all.

He was reminded of his high school years. He and a few of his omega and beta friends used to love sneaking into the pool of their high school late at night in the middle of summer for a midnight swim. He can still remember the sting of chlorine in his lungs as he and his friends laughed and swam around in nothing but their undergarments until someone would always think they heard something and they all would have to throw on their clothes as fast as they could to sneak back out.

If he had met Niall before the world fell, he was positive they would still be great friends. The beta would have fit perfectly into his life and into his friend group. But he had no clue if any of his friends were even still alive.

As Louis got used to the water he gradually relaxed and allowed himself to float on his back, closing his eyes. He could hear what he thought might be a chickadee singing in the branches above them and Libby nickering softly on the bank.

He could hear Niall float closer as the water rippled around him and suddenly cool water was splashing over his face. His eyes sprung open as he squeaked in alarm. “Niall!”

His friend just laughed and grinned mischievously before he was raising his hand and splashing Louis with a wave of water again.

“Oh, I am going to fucking kill you,” Louis threatened, his lips quirking up in a smile as he kicked his feet in the water to spray Niall right back.

Niall smirked and before Louis really knew what was happening, they were face to face splashing one another with water and laughing joyously.

Niall grabbed Louis’ ankle when he tried to kick water at him again, only for Louis to twist around in Niall’s grip and send a wave of water right into the beta’s face. Back and forth, Louis and Niall sprayed water at each other, and at some point, Louis pulled Niall into a headlock, and Niall in turn started tickling him.

They remained in the water until Niall was squeaky clean, no sign of dirt or grime left on his pale, freckled skin. Their fingertips were pruney and their skin was wrinkly from staying in the water for so long.

The sun was hanging lower in the sky and it was just about time for Louis to start heading home, so the two dragged themselves from the creek and collapsed on the blanket on the shore.

Louis smiled breathlessly over at Niall and squeezed his arm. “You’re my best friend, you know? I mean, aside from Harry.”

Niall grinned and patted Louis’ hand. “Yeah? I think you might be mine too.”

Louis never would have thought that he would actually find someone to call his best friend. He had thought he was lucky enough to find an alpha, he had never allowed himself to dream of finding a friend too. But apparently, he was the luckiest omega in the world.

Once Louis had mostly dried off, he tugged his leggings back on followed by the blue t-shirt and his boots. Niall did the same, baggy jeans and a dirty green shirt swallowing him up and covering his now clean skin.

“Right, well. I should crack on. It’s getting late,” Niall decided and brushed off his jeans, dirt billowing from the denim.

Louis nodded and pulled Niall in for a hug. “Okay. Be safe on your way back to camp.”

Niall hesitated a moment before grabbing Louis’ shoulders. “Come with me.”

“What?” Louis asked in confusion.

“Not today, obviously. But maybe tomorrow you could come with me,” Niall proposed excitedly.

“Nialler, I don’t know if I can. I’ll be gone a lot longer and I don’t want to worry Harry,” Louis sighed and bit his bottom lip.

“Bring him with then. Tell Harry about me and then invite him to come with tomorrow. Maybe he’ll trust me more if he can visit the camp and see the rest of my group,” Niall suggested. “Bring him with tomorrow when you come here, and I’ll convince him with my beta charm to come check out the camp.”

Louis’ brows furrowed, his lip red and swollen with his constant nibbling and tugging on it.

“Don’t worry, Lou. If you don’t show up tomorrow, I’ll know he’s not ready yet. If I don’t see you tomorrow, then meet me back there in four days,” Niall decided and pinched Louis’ cheek.

“Okay,” Louis finally agreed and lightly smacked Niall’s hand away from his cheek.

“Right on. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Niall winked and turned to walk in the opposite direction. He turned and looked over his shoulder as he got to the edge of the woods. “Good luck, by the way, with Harry.”

Louis allowed himself a small smile and nodded. “Hey, Niall? You know I love you, right? You’re like the brother I always wished I had.”

With his crooked teeth and freckled smile, Niall nodded. “Likewise, Lou.”

When Louis returned to the cabin, he rubbed pine over his neck and led Libby to the barn for her dinner. As he dismounted, he rubbed her neck and rump before pulling the saddle from her back. “Good girl, Libby,” he murmured. Her back was dark with sweat, so he grabbed a rag from the tack closet and scrubbed it over her back and belly where the leather cinch and fender covered.

She was tired, Louis could tell. Her eyes were heavy and her ears were completely relaxed. “That’s my girl. Get some rest,” he hummed and brushed her forelock out her eyes. She nickered softly and bobbed her head before wandering over to her stall to take a nap standing next to the wall.

Louis smiled to himself and turned towards the cabin. He couldn’t smell dinner yet so he assumed Harry must be making something like sandwiches. He always had dinner ready by the time Louis returned home, so when he stepped into the cabin to see Harry sitting on the couch with no food in sight, he was confused.

“Harry?” He hummed. Though he could only see Harry’s back, he could still notice the tension between his shoulders. “You okay?”

He watched as his alpha’s shoulders only drew up more tense than before like he was coiled so tightly that he might break. His head dropped into his hands as the omega stepped closer.

“Alpha?” Louis whispered, stepping around the sofa.

“Who’s Niall?”

The words had the heavy weight of dread dropping in his stomach. No. There’s no way Harry already knew about Niall. Had he been mumbling in his sleep about his best friend? Did he accidentally mention the beta in one of his stories?

His mind raced to come up with a response that wouldn’t make Harry angry but he came up with nothing.

“Harry,” Louis breathed, reaching for Harry’s hand only to have it pulled away from him. His eyes stung with unshed tears. “I fucked up.”

Harry nodded, the muscle in his jaw clenching and unclenching and quivering under his skin. His knuckles were white as he gripped the arm of the couch.

“I can explain – “

“Don’t.”

Louis immediately fell silent at the firm, sharp word that fell from Harry’s lips. He ducked his head and clasped his fingers in front of him, fidgeting nervously.

Harry didn’t speak another word, he simply sat there staring at Louis with his usually comforting vanilla pine scent turning burnt and sour in the air. Louis could feel the anger rolling off his alpha in waves and tension was filling their home.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek, shifting back and forth as he waited for Harry to say something.

“Harry – “

“I SAID DON’T,” Harry yelled, causing Louis to flinch and shy away from the man whose eyes grew dark.

Louis whimpered and fell to his knees, his instincts screaming at him to submit. His hands flew to his belly, rubbing the swell to try to soothe himself. With his eyes squeezed shut, Louis hunched over and curled in on himself.

“Do you have any fucking idea how worried I was about you? You’re constantly going out and disappearing for hours at a fucking time!” Harry yelled, shooting to his feet, and pacing the living room.

Louis opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it as he watched Harry tug his fingers through his hair, yanking on curls.

“When I saw that man I thought he was going to fucking kill you! What the hell were you thinking?” Harry growled and clenched his hands into fists as he stalked back and forth.

“He’s a friend,” Louis whispered.

“He’s not a friend! He’s not safe, Louis! What if he had taken you away? What if he had hurt you or hurt our pup? Were you even thinking of our pup?”

Anger flared up inside of him as he shot to his feet. “I fucking was thinking of our pup!” Louis screamed. “I was thinking about how our pup is going to be alone! How they’re not going to have an opportunity to find a mate or have a friend! I was thinking that our pup was being brought into a world of horrible people who would do horrible things.”

It appeared that he had rendered Harry quiet.

“I was thinking that Niall and his group hold hope for us,” Louis added. “I was thinking that with the help of their alpha and betas that we could start over.”

In a minute, Louis watched as Harry’s whole demeanor changed. His already dark green eyes grew cold and dark and his worried brows creased angrily.

It was odd, to see Harry immediately straighten like a rod was pulling his spine to its full height. His shoulders drew back and his chest puffed out.

“Harry?” Louis asked, eyes widening as Harry growled low in his chest. It was practically animalistic. The alpha stalked over to him, ducking down to scoop Louis up and throw him over his shoulder. He gasped, gripping Harry’s shirt in a fist as Harry stomped into their bedroom and tossed him onto the bed. “Harry, what are you doing?”

Instead of words, Harry growled again and yanked Louis’ leggings right down his legs. He knew Harry would never hurt him, his actions just confused Louis more than anything. There was no passion or sexual desire in Harry’s eyes, just panic.

“Alpha,” Louis murmured, trying to soothe him. “Please listen to me.”

Harry grunted and then Louis’ shirt joined his leggings on the floor. In an instant Harry was on the bed, shoving his face into Louis’ neck as he scented his mate frantically. Louis grabbed Harry’s face in both hands and forced the alpha to look at him. “Harry. Tell me what’s going on,” he demanded.

“Keep you safe.”

The words came out almost like a mix between a growl and a bark, grit out between clenched teeth and a stiff tongue.

“For fuck’s sake, Harry. I’m safe. Nothing is going to happen to me,” Louis huffed in annoyance, pushing at Harry’s shoulders to ease the weight laying over him.

Instead of shifting his weight, Harry merely held onto Louis’ waist and pushed past Louis’ hands to nose at his jaw and down to the mark on his neck. His chest rumbled against Louis’ and his mouth dragged over his jugular, his tongue poking out to lick over his sweet skin.

It dawned on Louis what exactly was happening.

“Shit. I’m safe, my sweet alpha. You’re keeping me safe. I’ll always be safe when I’m with you,” Louis promised, sweeping his trembling thumbs over the delicate skin beneath Harry’s eyes.

His alpha was falling feral. His domesticity was slipping away in the face of a threat to his mate and his child. Without Harry being able to tell him, Louis could only assume it was the mention of another group that pushed him under.

He could feel the panic and anger bubbling under Harry’s skin and coursing through his veins. He could sense the fear in his heart. The mark on his neck was stinging like a thousand tiny sharp needles were pricking his delicate skin over and over again with the beating of his heart.

“My strong, perfect alpha. I’m sorry for not telling you. I was wrong. I won’t lie to you again,” Louis promised in a voice barely above a whisper.

Grunting and huffing, Harry scented Louis’ neck and lathed his tongue over Louis’ skin to cover him in the alpha’s scent. He needed to erase any and all lingering scent of the beta until Louis reeked of Harry and their pup.

In any other circumstance, Louis would find this relaxing. It was such an intimate act, to be groomed by one’s mate. He and Harry had only ever done this once. Shortly after they mated, Harry had laid Louis out and licked over his neck, shoulders, and cheek. Having his alpha’s scent covering him and being caressed by his tongue would normally have him melting into the bed into a puddle of pleased omega, sated and purring.

Now, Louis found it unsettling. It was difficult to know that Harry had felt so threatened by another group that he had lost himself and fallen feral. That the fear of his family being taken from him had rendered him into a shell of himself, only able to grunt or growl instead of speak. That his instincts screamed at him to claim Louis by spreading his scent over him.

It took nearly two and a half hours of Harry rubbing his neck, cheeks, and mouth over every inch of Louis’ body for him to be lulled into a sleepy state. When his wide, panicked eyes finally relaxed, Louis reached up and gently pushed Harry onto his back, receiving only a grumble.

“You’ll be okay, alpha. I’m here for you,” Louis whispered and pressed a kiss to Harry’s clenched jaw.

Under his lips, Harry’s jaw loosened and a grunt echoed in his throat.

With a sigh, Louis grabbed Harry’s hand and rolled onto his side, his back to Harry as he pulled the alpha behind him until his back met Harry’s chest. “Sleep, my alpha. I’ll be right here in your arms,” he promised. When he felt Harry’s arm loop around his waist, hand over his bump, he squeezed Harry’s arm and pressed back into his warm frame.

When Harry finally slept, it was because he had hit absolute exhaustion and he was sure that Louis would be safe from any harm.

The following morning Louis woke to Harry’s heavy arm strewn over his waist, anchoring the omega to his chest. A slow lazy smile crept over Louis’ face, pleasant warmth seeping into his skin and sending his tummy into a fluttering nest of butterflies.

When he shifted to crawl out of bed and get something to eat for breakfast, Harry growled in his chest and tightened his grip on Louis. Harry was always a little more gruff in the mornings, but he didn’t usually growl.

“Harry,” Louis whispered and nudged his mate gently, receiving a grumble in reply. “Babe, I’m hungry.”

The arm around his waist disappeared for a mere moment before he was being picked up out of the bed and secured against Harry’s chest with thick thighs wrapped around his alpha’s waist as he carried the omega into the kitchen.

So apparently Harry still hadn’t returned from his feral state.

“Harry, you can’t be serious. Let me down.” When Harry did not let him down, Louis rolled his eyes and huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. “I can’t make myself breakfast with you holding me.”

This received a response. Harry set Louis down reluctantly with a grunt and then pulled him back against his chest with his hands protectively resting over his belly. In this position, Louis was able to make himself breakfast with his back to Harry’s chest, though not without some difficulty.

Louis shuffled around the kitchen with Harry practically glued to his back as he pulled out the fixings for pancakes. He still wasn’t quite ready to eat eggs, but he was looking forward to the day he could just crack an egg into a pan to eat a quick breakfast.

When his breakfast was done, Harry pulled him back into his lap on the couch. Louis couldn’t find it in himself to be bothered too much. His alpha was under, he couldn’t help his natural desire to be attached to Louis and scenting him constantly.

After breakfast, Louis needed a bath, so he wandered towards the bathroom. As he walked, he heard Harry’s own heavy steps behind him. “Are you going to watch me pee too?” Louis scoffed, whirling around to stare at Harry as he paused just in front of the bathroom door.

The alpha in front of him grunted, ducking his head and shuffling his feet.

Louis watched him for a moment before rolling his eyes fondly and stepping back into the bathroom, Harry immediately following him.

“So you’re just going to follow me everywhere, then?” Louis hummed. He bent to place the stopper in the tub before sprinkling a few dried petals from the nearby wildflower patch into the bottom of the tub. As he added water, he sat on the edge of the tub and watched as the petals floated and swirled under the current of the steaming water pouring into the bathtub.

Harry stood not half a foot from Louis’ knee, his arms hanging limply by his sides as he waited for Louis.

It didn’t take long for the tub to be filled, so Louis carefully climbed into the tub and scooted forward to make room for Harry who was already stepping in behind him. He always did love taking baths with his alpha, so he settled into the tub with Harry right behind him. A forever present hand on Louis’ bump as they lay in the bath and washed each other’s hair and Harry’s tongue dragging up and down Louis’ neck possessively.

That night, Louis stumbled around the kitchen and tripped over Harry’s annoyingly large feet that seemed to always be in the way as Louis tried to make them dinner. Harry had refused to eat breakfast, so Louis decided to make a pot of beef stew, Harry’s favorite meal.

As garlic, herbs, and onions wafting through the air, he watched as Harry’s nostrils twitched and he lifted his head to sniff the steam coming from the stovetop.

“I made your favorite, H. You’ve gotta get some food in that belly of yours, it’s been nearly a day since you last had something to eat,” Louis said. He stirred the brothy soup on the stove and lifted the wooden spoon to his lips to get a taste. It was a little strong in flavor for Louis in his current pregnant condition, but he was sure he could stomach it as long as Harry would finally eat something.

After he spooned the stew into two bowls, Louis led Harry back to the table and forced him to sit down in his own chair, much to his alpha’s annoyance. He would much rather have his omega seated in his lap on the sofa while they ate.

Louis sat across from Harry and slid a spoon over to Harry. “Eat up, my love.” He lifted the spoon to his lips and took a sip. A few bites later, he looked up at Harry and noticed he wasn’t eating. His alpha was sitting in his chair, his hand gripping the edge of the table as his eyes darted around and watched carefully over the omega.

With a sigh, Louis set down his spoon and stared at Harry. “Harry. You have to eat,” he insisted.

Harry hardly even glanced at him.

“Harry,” he tried again, sitting up a little straighter. When Harry’s faded eyes turned to meet his own, Louis reached over to rest his hand on top of Harry’s. “Eat,” he ordered.

To his disappointment, Harry merely grunted and pulled on Louis’ hand until the boy was rounding the table and being tugged into this lap. Louis sighed in frustration and patted Harry’s meaty arm. “You’re not going to eat on your own, are you?”

Harry was silent.

“Fine. Then I guess I’ll just have to feed you myself,” Louis hummed and shifted around in Harry’s lap until he was facing him. He reached behind himself and grabbed the bowl of soup, careful not to spill any of the steaming hot broth on either one of them.

Harry’s hands fell to his hips as Louis lifted a spoonful of broth up and blew gently on the soup before lifting the spoon to Harry’s lips. His dark, faded eyes seemed dazed and confused as he watched the omega.

“Open,” Louis reminded and nudged the spoon against Harry’s lips. Finally, Harry’s lips parted and allowed his boy to spoon a bit of broth and peas into his mouth. “Good. You have to eat to stay strong, Alpha. Need you strong to keep us safe.”

The grip on his wide hips tightened.

Louis nodded and lifted another spoonful to Harry. “Keep going, babe. You’ve got a whole bowl of soup left to go.”

It took nearly thirty minutes to get the bowl of soup into his alpha’s gut, and when he had finally emptied Harry’s bowl, his own was left cold on the other side of the table. He pressed a quick kiss to Harry’s lips before turning around and grabbing his cold soup. He only ate half of it before swatting Harry’s hands off of him to clean up their dishes.

After dinner, Harry herded Louis back into their room and onto the bed just like he had the previous night. Just as before, Harry laid him out on the bed and rubbed his cheek over Louis’ belly, and licked over his chest and shoulders until he was satisfied with his mate smelling like him.

When he was finished, Harry grunted and buried his face in Louis’ neck as he curled around his mate protectively.

“You’re a good alpha, Harry. I don’t know if you can understand anything that I’m saying right now, but you need to know that you are a good alpha. We’re safe because of you,” Louis murmured and brushed his fingers in a heart shape over the back of Harry’s hand. “I love you.”

Louis had thought that within a day Harry would be brought back from his feral mind and they could have a civilized conversation about the events that day.

He was proved wrong.

It had been nearly six days and Harry was still unable to speak. Beyond the grunts, growls, and occasional barks if Harry perceived any danger. The dangers that Harry perceived usually being Louis trying to walk out of the cabin without Harry there with him, Louis accidentally burning his finger on the stove, or Harry waking up from a nap and not being able to smell his omega.

Two days ago, Louis had started to get concerned. Harry was under for longer than he had thought and he was starting to try to figure out how to pull Harry out of his feral state. He didn’t know how to though. Alphas falling feral were rare and they didn’t exactly teach omegas in school how to help an alpha out of his feral mind. Louis had never studied this or really even heard about it beyond just skimming over it in health class.

With each day that passed, Louis’ concern grew and his worry worsened. He missed his alpha’s voice. Missed the deep and soothing voice that spoke slowly but with so much intention. He missed their late night conversations curled up in bed. He missed the way his alpha would kiss his belly and whisper to their pup after they’d taken a bath together.

When Harry was in this state, it was a battle all of its own to try to get him to eat. The alpha would always grunt and try to push food away until Louis seated himself in Harry’s lap and fed him by hand until he was sure that Harry had enough. He didn’t like having to worry so much about his mate. He would gladly take care of his love, but it scared him to think that if he weren’t there to care of him then the alpha would starve.

If Harry had a free moment where he wasn’t simply watching Louis or guarding him, he spent his time patrolling the woods surrounding their home with a gun in his hand and a knife strapped into his belt. Every morning when they woke up and every evening before they went to sleep, Harry would retreat to the woods. For nearly two hours he would search the woods.

When Louis would look out the window to watch, he could see Harry crouched in the dirt examining the mud and sniffing trees. He occasionally would pick something up and sniff it before tossing it back to the ground or pocketing whatever it was that he found.

He hoped Niall wasn’t too worried. He only wished he had been able to sneak off to their usual meeting spot just to let his friend know that he was alright. That nothing had happened to him but he would need to be gone for a little while to take care of his alpha.

He was sure Niall understood and held no harsh feelings, but he still wished he could see him. He missed his silly friend and the jokes they would share on the shores of that little creek in the woods. He could imagine the stories Niall would share about the latest escapades his group had gotten up to and Louis would have in turn shared about his alpha and the animals.

In the last six days, Harry had yet to touch him beyond scenting him and cradling his boy. He was grateful for it. He did not want to be intimate with Harry unless Harry was fully mentally there. But he did miss it. He longed for the soft touches of his mate.

He longed for more than that.

He just wanted his alpha back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I love to read your feedback and comments! They always make my day!


	20. Chapter 20

It was on the sixth day that Louis rose to his feet to try to go on a walk. He hadn’t been able to go out much, not with Harry constantly blocking his advances by standing in the doorframe and refusing to move. It was honestly a miracle that the animals got fed.

The first day when Louis had gone to go feed the animals their breakfast, Harry had growled and stood in front of the door, his back against the heavy wood in an attempt to keep Louis from opening it. Louis had huffed and crossed his arms, glaring up at his alpha. No matter how hard he tried to convince Harry to move aside, the alpha didn’t seem to understand what he was saying. There was no spark of recognition in his eyes, no dilating of his pupils in the dead gray of his eyes.

It wasn’t until Louis bared his neck and reached out to hold Harry’s hand that his alpha finally focused on him. With a whine, Harry had held on tightly to Louis’ hand and allowed his omega to gently nudge him out the door. His hand didn’t leave Louis’ when they stepped into the barn, or when Louis spread seeds out for the chickens, grain for the sheep, and fresh hay in the pasture for the horses and cows. It was when they were finally safe in the comfort of their little home that Harry finally released Louis’ hand from his grip.

So on that sixth day when Louis rose to his feet after rereading one of the books for the millionth time, it was no surprise to see Harry’s head snap in his direction. He could feel Harry’s empty eyes watching him move from the nest tucked away in the corner of the room towards the door, Kayah close behind him. As soon as he was within five feet of the door, Harry was springing to his feet and crossing the room with long strides.

He wedged himself in between Louis and the door and huffed, spreading his arms to cover the entire door.

“Harry, please. I want to go outside,” Louis sighed tiredly.

Harry frowned and stood his ground, staring at his mate.

Louis was tired of this. He knew that Harry couldn’t help the way that he was reacting but he just wanted to feel free again. With Harry constantly trying to keep him in their home, he felt like he was captive. Harry’s feral mindset had told him that the omega needed to stay in their den to be protected. It was safe in their den where Louis could be hidden away.

But they were not wolves anymore. Harry keeping Louis holed up in their cabin didn’t make him any safer.

As Louis stood in front of Harry, the muscles between his shoulders tightened and anger fizzled in his blood. “Move,” he demanded, his fists clenching the material of his dress.

He received no response.

“Harold, get out of my way and let me out of this fucking cabin,” Louis huffed and crossed his arms, chin tilted up as he narrowed his eyes up at his alpha.

Harry merely grumbled and there was a flicker of fire in his eyes, like Louis’ words were making him bristle. He may not understand the exact words coming out of Louis’ mouth but he surely could sense the emotion from his tone.

Louis’ shoulders drooped in defeat and his heart sank in his chest like a bag of sand sinking in the water. He ached for the breeze of fresh air in his hair, for the kiss of sun on his cheeks, or tickle of grass brushing against his calves.

With a lowered head, Louis dropped his gaze to the floor and turned away from the alpha and the door that stood between him and the sky. Not today, but maybe tomorrow. Maybe in the next day when the sun had fallen and risen once more would Harry allow him out of their home.

“Fine,” he whispered and trudged back to his corner of the living room. He crawled over the wall of pillows and curled up between the blankets with Kayah next to him, pulling the softest one against his nose as he nestled into the material.

He wasn’t sure how much longer he could bear this. It had been six days since he’d spoken to his Harry. Six days since they had laughed. Six days since he had seen the vibrant green of his beautiful eyes.

Louis had never liked silence. Sure, he had enjoyed quiet mornings of solitude but even more so he had enjoyed the strong embrace of his alpha and the slow drawl of his soothing words when Harry would join him on the front deck. He would give nearly anything to hear those grunts and growls turn to beautiful words forming on his lips.

The silence. It was deafening. On the warm air of the cabin, it hung heavily like every inch of air weighed ten pounds. He wanted nothing more than for that silence to break.

He hadn’t felt their pup move either. It was like even the pup lay silent, waiting for the return of his or her father. It added to the clawing pain of loneliness Louis felt.

He just wanted to scream into the pillow and beg for his mate. Not this shell of his alpha, but his true Harry. The Harry that laughed like he was honking like a goose, that smiled with crooked lips and deep dimples, and that spoke to Louis with so much love and gentleness in his voice that Louis swore his words could inspire a thousand dreams.

Hidden away in his blankets, Louis could almost pretend that things were okay. The soft fluff under his head and warm, cozy layers wrapped around him eased his worrying mind and quieted his thoughts. A good nest would do that for an omega. In a good nest, an omega could forget the worst and remove the weight from their shoulders.

A quiet whine found its way into the sheets draped over his nest. The sound jolted Louis from his daze and prickled in his ears.

Louis poked his head out of his nest, his line of sight landing on his alpha seated on the couch. Harry sat with his legs tucked up against his chest and his arms hugging around himself. He hadn’t seen Harry so vulnerable in days.

“Harry?” Louis asked quietly, offering his alpha a gentle smile when his empty gray eyes met blue. “Are you okay?”

There was a whine instead of a word.

On Harry’s face there was a softness and a sadness that Louis hadn’t noticed before. It came to him that maybe Harry felt just as trapped and alone as he did. Maybe he was aching for the words to speak to Louis, longing for connection. Maybe Harry missed Louis just as much as Louis missed Harry.

Louis pulled himself to his feet and padded over to Harry’s curled-up form. With his toes pointed inward, he stopped in front of his alpha and reached out with a gentle hand to rest it on Harry’s knee.

“Alpha,” he whispered and leaned down to nuzzle his nose against the crown of Harry’s head. Greasy curls tickled his lips, he should probably lure Harry into the shower with him for another bath. It was the only way he’d get him clean.

The large hands that landed on Louis’ hips squeezed softly at his fleshy curves and pulled lazily until Louis was giggling and allowing himself to be eased into Harry’s lap. It was familiar and comforting, though there was still something missing.

He eyed Harry’s somewhat vacant features and brushed his fingertips over the coarse stubble on his cheek, much longer than Harry typically kept it. The hair prickled against his own skin, reminding him of just how far away his alpha was from him, how removed from reality he was. “You need a shave. Not that I don’t love facial hair on you, but this is a little long,” he mused.

Harry’s hand pet over Louis’ hip and his eyes didn’t leave Louis’ face. He was observing every pinch between Louis’ brows, every flicker in his eyes, and every flutter of his lashes. Louis could feel the heaviness of his gaze.

“I miss you, Harry. I know you’re right here in front of me, but I miss you. Never thought I’d miss those stupid jokes of yours,” Louis mumbled and dropped his hands to his lap, staring down at them glumly. “I wish you’d come back to me.”

Below him, Harry whined again. Louis scanned his pouted pink lips and concerned gray eyes carefully, searching for a spark of recognition or even a whisper of his Harry somewhere in this feral alpha.

Warm hands slid up Louis’ back and pushed until Louis was pulled closer, nestled tightly against Harry’s chest as the alpha began openly scenting him just like he did every morning and every evening before bed.

Louis couldn’t help but sigh yet again and drop his head onto the broad shoulder presented to him.

If only he knew what to do. Maybe if his mother were still alive, she’d be able to guide him through this. She used to have the best advice and she no doubt would have been able to walk Louis through how to be everything that Harry needed him to be in this moment.

It truly felt like he had tried just about everything to get Harry back. He’d tried to be gentle and coax him out of it, he’d tried lecturing him about being a good alpha and being present, he’d even tried tickling Harry out of it. The only thing he hadn’t tried was scaring him out of it, and somehow he knew that would only make their situation much worse. He was at a loss as to what he could do to bring him back.

For now, all he could do was wait.

On the seventh day, Louis woke as he always did, with a heavy arm slung over his waist and a face full of pillows pressed against his nose. Somehow, he was more tired now than he was when he went to sleep the night before. It weighed heavily on him, knowing that the only times he could see his Harry was in his dreams and when he woke he was faced with the reality of a feral alpha that was trying so hard to protect him from the entire world.

He dragged the heel of his palm over his eyes, rubbing away the crust clinging to his lashes, and let out an exhausted sigh. Harry’s hand tightened on the material of the sleepshirt Louis had stolen from Harry’s drawer in the dresser when Louis stretched out his legs, his joints in his ankles popping and his knees cracking.

Louis peered over his shoulder with his eyes half-lidded and took in Harry’s perpetually tired features. He could tell that Harry hadn’t been sleeping much, not with the constant urge to protect and guard his mate that was carrying his pup. When Louis went to bed at night, Harry was still awake and when he rose in the mornings Harry was almost never still asleep. More often than not, Harry would sleep for just a few hours in the middle of the night and spend the remaining hours of the night watching over Louis and listening intently for any odd sounds.

There had only been one time in the last week that Harry had thought he heard something outside and had immediately woken Louis up, growling low in his chest as he had gathered Louis in his arms and hidden him in the closet of the old bedroom. Louis, being only half awake, hadn’t complained or protested but rolled his eyes tiredly and relaxed into his blanket while Harry stalked outside with Kayah and prowled the surrounding woods. It had only been a deer wandering close to the cabin.

“Morning,” Louis mumbled, patting Harry’s hand that laid over his belly. As usual, he received no response from his alpha. It hurt.

He rolled onto his back and arched his back to stretch out his stiff bones and aching muscles. Their pup was still steadily growing inside him and the muscles in his lower back were straining every day with the added weight of his belly. It was comforting, to know that even though their pup wasn’t making their presence known by moving, they were still growing inside him.

As he did every morning, Louis pulled on Harry’s hand to get him to let Louis out of bed. He had learned after four mornings that Harry would not let him leave the bed unless Louis tugged him along with him and allowed the alpha to follow him and guard him while he showered, got dressed, and made breakfast. It was frustrating at first, but Louis had accepted that this is what he needed to do to ease his alpha’s worried instincts.

He snatched up a pair of panties and one of Harry’s shirts along with a pair of leggings, handing them over to Harry for him to scent – another part of their new morning routine. He grabbed a shirt, jeans, and a clean pair of boxers for Harry as well before leading him over to the bathroom to get him into the shower to clean that messy head of curls of his.

In some ways, it felt like he was taking care of a giant toddler. If he didn’t pick out Harry’s clothes and help him wash his hair in the mornings, he was sure that Harry would wear the exact same pair of jeans and shirt every day, morning or night, if he would even bother with clothes at all. It was warm enough now that Harry could have gotten away with wearing nothing.

The smell of their generic shampoo filled his nostrils as he squeezed the soap into the palm of his hand and ignored the way his alpha was grumbling, probably annoyed that he was being forced to bathe. As always, as soon as Louis began to massage the shampoo into his hair and dragged his fingernails over Harry’s scalp, those growls became hums of pleasure. It was one of the few times Harry showed an emotion other than constant worry.

He always washed Harry’s hair first, and then his own, with Harry’s hands holding on to his hips while Louis sudsed up his own hair and dragged a loofah over his arms and back. He missed the way Harry used to nudge Louis’ hands away in the shower whenever he tried to wash his hair, taking that responsibility over and rubbing soothing circles against Louis’ scalp. Harry didn’t do that anymore. Even though he was constantly touching Louis, it was always the dead weight of his hand on Louis’ back or a vacant touch to his belly just to reassure himself that Louis was alive and well.

Once they were both dressed, Louis wandered out to the living room and pulled Harry by the hand over to the bench next to the front door where they stored their muck boots for the barn. The only way he was able to get Harry to let him out of the cabin was by holding his hand the entire time and pressed one of the guns into Harry’s hand before they could step outside. The weight of the cool metal in Harry’s hands and the knowledge that he was equipped to fully protect Louis seemed to calm him enough to go outside.

Louis inhaled deeply once they were bathed in the warmth of the sun, filling his lungs with fresh air and listening intently to the birds singing in the trees. He was only able to get outside twice a day and only for a few minutes while they took care of the animals. If he was ever able to get Harry out of his feral state, he was sure he’d spend multiple days outside running through the woods freely. Until then, he settled for tromping through the grass towards the barn with a firm hand on his lower back.

He could tell the animals missed them both, their ears perking up every morning when Louis would swing open the barn door and greet them all with a soft voice and smooth his hands over their backs. Kayah’s tail wagged happily as she trotted from stall to stall like she was also checking up on each of the animals.

Louis stopped in front of the sheep’s stall and crouched in front of the youngest lambs that he had helped Harry deliver. “Hello there, little ones. You’re getting so big,” he cooed and stroked a hand over Marigold’s neck. “Soon you’ll be almost as big as Kayah.”

Poppy’s head nudged against his side as she searched for a treat, mouthing at his denim button-down shirt. With a giggle, Louis scratched under her jaw with his other free hand. “You too, Miss Poppy. My sweet girls,” he cooed and gave them each a kiss on the tops of their heads before he got to his feet and brushed off the straw from his knees.

On his way out of the lambs’ stall he bumped into Harry, letting out a little ‘oof’ as he knocked into his firm chest. “Sorry, didn’t see you were standing there,” he mumbled and skirted around his alpha.

He hated that it was like this now. Avoiding his mate and giving him a wide berth was not something Louis thought would ever be part of his life. He never thought he would feel so distant with the love of his life right in front of him, reduced to a shell of who he truly was.

It didn’t take him long to feed the animals and let the sheep and cows out of the barn to wander around until later that day when Louis would drag Harry with him to bring them back in for the night. As soon as the barn door closed behind him, Harry’s hand returned to its place on Louis’ back and steered him back to their den.

As soon as they stepped through the front door, Louis kicked off his boots and went about his routine of opening all the windows to allow the breeze to drift through the screens and fluttered through the curtains. After days being stuck inside, he craved fresh air and sunshine and the open windows were the only way he’d be able to get it for more than twenty minutes at a time.

He could still feel Harry’s eyes on him, tracking his every move as Louis pushed open the windows and pulled the curtains wide. He did his best to ignore the feeling of being watched as he tidied up around their home before he made a quick breakfast of eggs and toasted sourdough bread. As usual, he fed three fried eggs to Harry before he ate his own food and returned to the kitchen afterward to set their dishes in the sink.

Louis rubbed at his eyes with the back of his wrist and stepped closer to the open window. With delicate fingers, he pulled the curtain back further and gazed out at the woods. He leaned against the window sill and tilted his head to rest against the wooden trim of the windows.

Behind him, a low growl rumbled.

It shouldn’t have elicited such a reaction, but Louis was weak with exhaustion. He hardly knew what he was doing before he was spinning on his heel with a growl of his own, eyes glaring into slits as he stared at his alpha defiantly. “Would you fuck off?!”

The look on Harry’s face was priceless. His brows shot up into the curls that flopped over his forehead and his jaw dropped at Louis’ reaction.

“God, you’re so fucking overbearing! I can’t even look out a window without you getting upset, I feel like I can’t even breathe around you anymore! You’re not my Harry. You’re not the alpha that I know anymore,” Louis ranted, stomping his foot on the ground.

Anger ripped through his chest and spread like a wildfire. He was usually much better at controlling his emotions but he had had enough. He was sick of swallowing his anger and now he felt like he was choking on it.

With an angry squeak, Louis clenched his hands into small fists and stomped over to his alpha where he stood with his tall and dominating stance. “Fuck you! Fuck you and your growling! Fuck you and your constant need to watch me!” He hissed, standing right in front of Harry with his fists on his hips.

Harry seemed to have steeled himself as Louis yelled at him, besides the flicker of a muscle in his jaw he kept his face stoic. His lack of a reaction was infuriating.

“Fuck your empty eyes and fuck your feral brain!” Louis continued, jabbing his finger into Harry’s chest over and over again, sure to leave a little bruise from his bony fingers.

Steam was practically coming out of his ears and he was sure his cheeks were flushed with frustration and irritation. As an omega, he prided himself on being level-headed and in touch with his emotions but all he saw was red.

Burnt sugar, soured peaches, and the faded scent of pine was thick in the air as Louis’ scent glands poured pheromones into the room, the smell flooding over him and messing with his brain.

It was all so confusing. Perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones, but one minute Louis’ furious at Harry for being too domineering, and then the next minute he was filled with overwhelming anguish of Harry not even having the words to fight back.

Louis blinked back his tears, his fingertips fizzling with the energy coursing through his veins. He itched to hit something in anger, fear, frustration. He’d never wanted to punch something before, but in that moment he just wanted to lash out for once.

Harry frowned in front of him as Louis’ face crumpled, his body shrinking in on itself. His omega slumped and sunk to the ground, his legs folded underneath himself as his hands trembled and his eyes watered.

His shaky fingers pressed against his lips as Louis rocked back and forth, a small whimper crawling up his throat. He couldn’t do this anymore. It was too much. He needed his alpha back, not just for himself but for his pup too.

When he felt a heavy hand touch his shoulder, he flinched and buried his face in his hands. Everything ached in him to melt into Harry’s touch but he also craved being stubborn. He wanted to resist just to spite Harry.

That large mitt-like hand slid down his back and then a nose was tucking into the juncture of his neck and shoulder, inches from his bond mark. Part of him hated how easy it was to melt under such a simple touch but as Harry’s lips brushed over his mark, he let out a sob.

The grunt that Harry let out had Louis’ heart shattering in his chest. His alpha didn’t even comfort him the same way. The hands were dead and heavy on his back and even the breath that puffed over his skin was harsher and more jagged than his Harry’s. His scent was familiar and he looked nearly the same but his feral alpha wasn’t quite right.

With weak hands, Louis reached up and pushed Harry away. He barely budged even an inch, his muscled body too heavy and rooted in place for Louis to do much. Another wet sob left Louis’ lips and he limply pounded his fists against Harry’s chest, little hands trembling as he over and over again hit the alpha’s chest weakly.

Harry didn’t bother to stop Louis, his omega’s hands doing no damage as he lashed out. His dark gray eyes stared right through Louis, almost like he couldn’t truly acknowledge his boy or see him clearly. It was as if he was staring off into space.

Louis landed one last hit to Harry’s shoulder before he was grabbing the sides of Harry’s face and forcing Harry’s eyes on him. “Look at me! See me! Please, Harry. Just come back to me,” he sobbed. “I need you. Please, I just need you back.”

He watched through bleary eyes filled with tears as Harry’s brows furrowed and his lower lip jutting out in confusion. His rumbling vibrated against Louis’ hands as he gripped Harry’s face.

“Alpha, I promise you I’m safe. I’m safe and I’m not going to get hurt but I can’t keep doing this anymore,” he cried and wiped furiously at the wet trail of tears trickling down his cheeks. “I can’t live like this anymore.”

Harry’s growl in response had Louis stumbling backward. His cries faded away until they were nothing but a whistling wind blowing through the cavern in his small chest. He felt empty without his Harry, the beating of his heart and his ragged breath rattling.

As Harry took a step towards him, Louis shook his head sadly and ducked away from Harry’s outstretched hand. He breezed past the alpha without a further look and trudged to what would eventually become the baby’s room.

He closed the door behind him with a quiet click and stripped off the shirt that hung like a tent over his head and tossed it onto the floor. By the time he reached the edge of his nest, his leggings lay in a pile next to his socks and he was nearly bare aside from his cotton panties.

Before entering his nest, he dragged a heavily scented blanket over his shoulders and the back of his neck, covering himself in the soothing scent that remained from the material Harry had scented a few weeks ago. The calming scent flooded through him and muddled his thoughts until they were nothing but fuzzy memories.

To his relief, Harry didn’t follow him for once. He let him be in their pup’s future nursery, content with the omega being burrowed away deep in their den.

Louis rubbed at his eyes with a heavy sigh and draped the blanket he was holding over the backs of the chairs on either side of his nest to create an enclosed space. He sank to his knees and crawled carefully into the carefully constructed pile of blankets and curled up with his hands on his belly and his face buried in his favorite blanket.

He couldn’t be sure how long he lay nestled in his nest but at some point, he could hear Harry’s footsteps just outside the door of the nursery. The floorboards creaked and groaned as feet walked back and forth.

For nearly a minute, Louis listened to Harry’s pacing before he pulled himself out of his nest and wrapped one of the blankets tightly around his shoulders. His feet stumbled as he tripped over the edge of his blanket on his way to the door, huffing in annoyance as he struggled with the amount of blanket he had bunched up in his arms.

When he finally got to the door he flung the door open and caught the attention of his alpha. Harry’s eyes looked lost as he stopped his pacing, a crease between his brows and the corners of his lips pulled down in a frown.

Something was bothering him, Louis could tell. Harry’s shoulders hunched forward and his hands were clenching and unclenching as he tugged on the material of his shirt.

Louis slouched against the frame of the door and watched as Harry’s feet stopped in their tracks and he looked up at the omega with his head lowered, almost submissively. He studied the creases on Harry’s face and the way his entire form was caving in on itself. “Harry,” he whispered.

His own gentle words had Harry’s lungs shrinking as he exhaled the breath he was holding. The alpha whimpered with so much vulnerability and a rawness exposed in his eyes. It was maybe the first time Louis had seen even an ounce of emotion in his feral gray eyes.

He couldn’t help the softness that wrapped around his chest and made a home under his ribcage. “Harry, come here,” Louis murmured and held out a hand.

Hesitation was thick in Harry’s throat as he cautiously took a step closer to Louis. The fingers that gestured him forward brought Harry into the nursery and closed the door behind them. His bottom lip quivered and his eyes were trained on the floor as Louis stood in front of him.

Louis reached up and used a finger under Harry’s chin to raise his ducked head to meet his gaze. “You’re safe, I’m safe, and our pup is safe,” he spoke softly and stroked his thumb over the stubble on Harry’s chin. With his other hand holding onto Harry’s hand, he gently led the alpha over to the corner of the room and stopped in front of his nest.

Harry’s eyes flickered over to the soft construction and his eyes looked worriedly at Louis.

“It’s okay. You can come in,” Louis assured. He skated his fingertips over Harry’s cheek and offered him a tight smile. The tension from earlier was still straining between them but seeing the lost look in his alpha’s eyes was alarming enough that Louis wanted to reassure him. “Take your clothes off.”

He helped Harry remove his t-shirt and slid the jeans down his legs, smiling softly as Harry struggled to kick the denim from his feet. Finally, he stood in front of Louis with his hands by his sides and his hands clenched nervously. “We’re okay,” Louis promised and knelt down to crawl under the blankets draped over his nest.

When he was situated inside his nest, he beckoned Harry closer. With the utmost care, Harry gingerly crept in after him and whined under his breath as he pawed at the bulky blankets wrapped around the omega.

Louis offered Harry a smile and pulled aside the blankets to allow Harry to crawl closer and nestle in next to him. With Harry’s firm chest pressed against his arm, Louis leaned in and rested his head over the left side of Harry’s chest to listen to his heart beating rhythmically.

He draped the blanket over Harry as well and stroked his hand over the hummingbird tattoo, tracing the crisp lines of the feathers in its wings. “I miss you.”

Under his ear, Harry’s heartbeat seemed to speed up minutely and a shaky breath left the alpha’s chapped lips. He must have been biting harshly on his lip as he paced. He did that sometimes, pinching and biting at the sensitive skin on his lips when he was nervous or upset.

Louis closed his eyes and relaxed into the layers of his nest. He’d never allowed Harry into this nest before, reserving it for himself and eventually their pup. It was a sacred space for him that brought him deep peace and put his mind at ease. He wasn’t sure if it would have the same effect on Harry but at the very least, it soothed his own inner turmoil and the battle between being sad and angry.

As the time passed in his nest, he found himself letting go of the anger that gnawed at him and allowing himself to find contentment between the layers of blankets. His hand over Harry’s heart eventually stilled its movements and his breathing evened out gradually.

He loved his nest and the security it held and he was happy to share it with Harry in that moment. His eyes felt heavy and sleepiness crept through his veins relaxing his muscles one by one starting at his toes. From Harry’s scent, Louis could tell the alpha was affected in the same way.

Just as he was slipping into the grips of slumber, the chest beneath him trembled and breath rattled in Harry’s lungs.

“L-Lou?”

Louis’ eyes flung open as the words croaked out of Harry’s throat. His voice sounded like he was swallowing around sandpaper from a week of disuse. “What?” he breathed.

Harry swallowed thickly, wincing at the dryness caught in his mouth and the scratching in his throat. “Water,” he wheezed, coughing around his words.

With wide eyes, Louis nodded frantically and bolted from the nest. His fingers trembled as he hurriedly filled a glass with water and spilled a fourth of it on his rush back to the nest in the nursery. Harry was sitting up with his back against the wall when he returned.

He handed the glass of water over wordlessly and settled back on his haunches as he watched his alpha gulp the water down eagerly. He accepted the glass a few seconds later when Harry had finished it and set it on the floor outside of his pile of blankets.

With his hands nervously fiddling with the blanket in his lap, Louis stared at Harry with wide eyes. Harry had spoken. He had finally said actual words instead of grunts and growls and quite frankly Louis had no idea what to even say to him now. As much as it surprised him, he had realized that part of him had grown accustomed to Harry’s lack of speaking and his feral ways.

Harry seemed to feel just as uncertain as Louis. His gaze flickered around the room and his bottom lip was pulled between his teeth as he glanced about nervously. Already, the gray was slowly draining from his irises and that warm sage green that Louis knew and loved was returning.

The telltale sign of tears prickled Louis’ eyes as he regarded Harry carefully. Before he could stop himself, a salty tear slipped down his cheek and hung on his jaw before falling and dampening the knitted blanket in his grasp.

At the shift in his scent, Harry’s eyes snapped back to Louis and the corners of his mouth dipped down in a frown. “Lou,” he rasped and settled a gentle hand on the omega’s knee.

The second Harry’s hand landed on his bare knee, all of the walls Louis had built up over the past week came crumbling down and the emotions he’d been shoving back flooded out of him like a dam breaking. The first tear was just a drop at first and then suddenly he had two glistening streams running down his cheeks.

“Alpha,” Louis sobbed out and then he was being pulled into Harry’s lap. He went easily and melted into the arms that wrapped around him tightly. He fit. Like a puzzle piece, his head tucked under Harry’s chin and his thighs bracketed the lap beneath him.

“Good boy,” Harry whispered and pressed his lips to the top of Louis’ head as his hands traveled up and down his back. He was still disoriented and a bit fuzzy, but he could gather that he’d missed maybe a week of their life because of some kind of alpha drop. He’d heard of omega dropping in health class all those years ago but he didn’t learn much about when alphas drop.

Louis cried into Harry’s chest and tucked his arms up against his chest with his hands cradled under his chin. When he was a pup he would curl his hands under his chin and nap with his chin cradled in his hand, his mother had told him. It was a self-soothing method he’d been told.

“I’m so sorry, Harry. I’m so sorry,” Louis whimpered and pushed closer to Harry. “I’m sorry for not telling you about Niall and I’m sorry for lying to you.”

“Shh. ‘S okay,” Harry assured him with his hand carding through Louis’ hair.

“No, it’s not. I did that to you. It’s my fault. I’m sorry,” he sniffled out between tears and rubbed at his eyes with his palms.

Harry’s head shook. “We’ll talk later,” he coughed with a wince.

Louis opened his mouth to argue but one look at his alpha’s pain-pinched forehead and Louis ducked his head silently. Harry’s finger dragged over his shoulder blade in the shape of a heart while he kissed a line from his jaw to the top of his shoulder.

In his arms, Louis felt at home. He could finally breathe again and though guilt still lingered, he was relieved to have his Harry back. Finally. He was finally back.

The sunlight that filtered through the open curtains morphed from golden to orange and then pink, washing the room with the shifting sunset. As the colors changed, Louis found himself relaxed almost completely in Harry’s lap. He forgot how good it felt to feel so whole and so complete.

A scratching at the door broke Louis from his half-asleep state and underneath him, Harry tensed. “Shhh. I think it’s just Kayah,” Louis whispered and nuzzled his nose against Harry’s scent gland.

“Oh,” Harry sighed and nodded before reluctantly setting Louis down in a particularly soft looking corner of the nest. He dragged himself out of the construction of blankets and snuck out of the room before Kayah had a chance to wiggle her way into the nursery. It had gone unspoken, but she wasn’t allowed in this room yet.

Louis smoothed a hand over his belly and let out a relieved sigh when his tummy fluttered. “I know, little one. Daddy’s back,” he murmured and kissed his fingertips before pressing them to the space just under his belly button. “Daddy’s back.”

It was only a few minutes later that Harry was returning to the nursery and crouching down next to the nest. “You hungry?” He asked, sipping from the glass of water in his hand.

Louis nodded and crawled out of the nest with one hand supporting the swell of his tummy and the other helping him navigate through the maze of blankets until he reached Harry and was helped to his feet. He looked up into Harry’s vibrant green eyes and nearly burst into tears yet again. Oh, how he had missed those eyes.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ve got it,” the alpha whispered and reached for Louis’ hand. With his larger one enveloping Louis’ petite little hand, he led Louis out of the nursery and seated him on the sofa as he fumbled around the kitchen to whip up a quick meal for them both.

With watering eyes, Louis fixated on the broad back that flexed and rippled while Harry plodded along. He could vaguely hear Kayah barking happily as she ran circles around the yard, finally free to scamper wildly outside after a week of being stuck inside with Louis.

He hadn’t even realized he’d zoned out until Harry was placing a plate of food in his lap and settling down onto the couch next to him.

“Sorry it’s not much. My head’s still a little fuzzy,” Harry mumbled and shoveled a forkful of food into his mouth.

“S okay. It was a long week.”

Harry’s head nodded guiltily. “I’m sorry. I don’t really know what’s happened over the last few days. It’s all a bit blurry and I only remember a few things and even those are fuzzy,” he admitted around a mouthful. “What, um – What exactly did happen this last week?”

Louis nibbled on his food, not all that hungry but knowing he needed to eat to feed the pup in his belly. “You didn’t do much, I guess. When I told you about the, uh, others,” he fumbled, trying to find a way around talking about what had triggered Harry, “you went feral. I couldn’t reason with you, I couldn’t even really talk with you. You wouldn’t let me leave the cabin unless it was to feed the animals, and even then you would get me back inside as soon as you could. You couldn’t speak, just grunts and you growled a lot. You were pretty much just acting like a wolf.”

Harry pinched his bottom lip harshly between his thumb and forefinger. “I’m so sorry, Louis,” he whispered. “Did I – um. Did I ever try to, like, um.”

Louis raised a brow at Harry’s stammering and rested a hand on his arm. “You never pushed yourself on me. Not once. I even tried to get you to touch me once to see if that would snap you out of it but you wouldn’t do it. Nothing other than scenting me and grooming me.”

“I groomed you?” Harry asked in surprise.

“Practically daily,” Louis giggled softly and looked back down at his food, taking another bite. “I think it made you feel better to know that I smelled so strongly of you. You’d think I reeked of you already with all the baths and showers I forced you to take with me, but every morning and every night you’d scent me all over again.”

“Oh,” Harry mumbled, feeling relieved that at least he hadn’t violated Louis. “Did I ever hurt you?”

Louis shook his head. “No. A few times you panicked and grabbed my arm but you never hurt me. You scared me though.” He watched as Harry’s lips pulled into a frown again. “I wasn’t sure if you would come back to me. I fucked up, I know that now, but I thought I was going to lose the real you forever.”

“I’m sorry,” the alpha whispered and squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m so sorry for leaving you like that. I failed you.”

“Harry,” Louis said firmly and reached up to grip Harry’s chin. “Yes, you scared me and yes it was one of the hardest weeks of my life, but you did not fail me. You did the best you could to protect me and care for me even when you were feral. You are not a bad alpha.”

Harry blinked rapidly like he had something stuck in his eyes and sniffled wetly. “I’m still sorry. I missed you too.” He set his plate off to the side and leaned down to curl up with his head in Louis’ lap, facing his belly. “I love you so much.”

The pup inside of Louis fluttered at the sound of their father’s voice. Louis smiled down at Harry and slipped his fingers through his tangled curls. “Little One says they love you too,” he murmured.

With a tentative hand, Harry reached up and rested his palm against the soft swell. “My pup.”

“They didn’t move at all while you were out of it. Had me worried half to death that something was wrong with them. I guess they just missed Daddy’s voice,” Louis presumed and got to work detangling the mop on top of Harry’s head.

Harry’s forehead came to rest against Louis’ soft tummy and his eyes fluttered shut. “I’ll never leave you again,” he promised so softly Louis could hardly hear it.

Louis smiled, his eyes gazing down at Harry with contentment turning his cheeks pink and his lids heavy.

Harry sat across from Louis with a mug of tea in his hands, sucking in his cheeks as he bobbed a tea bag in and out of the steaming water. It wasn’t coffee, but it would do the trick.

With a mug of his own filled to the brim with hot chocolate, Louis swung his legs back and forth with nerves making his fingers jittery and his legs restless. It’s not like they could avoid it, but Louis still didn’t feel great about approaching the topic after what happened last time. He didn’t want to risk pushing Harry back under but neither one of them could simply ignore it either.

“So,” Harry began, wetting his lips with the tip of his tongue. “Tell me about Niall.”

Louis took a deep breath and nodded slowly, staring down at the swirling brown liquid in his mug. “Um. Well Niall’s a beta and we met at the creek a few weeks ago. He’s funny – like, really funny – and he used to be a nurse,” he began. “He’s super nice and his group seems like they’d be nice too. They live in a campground in tents somewhere a few miles from the creek. There’s five of them. Niall, two other betas, Liam the alpha, and Zayn his omega. Liam used to be in the military and I think he taught kids or something at some point. Niall says he’s a really good guy. His omega, Zayn, used to decorate homes before everything fell. I think Melissa used to be some kind of engineer and from what I remember the other beta, Jack, used to manage a bank.”

As Louis spoke, Harry nodded along. He didn’t seem as phased by the information, though his bottom lip was still pulled between his teeth and bitten red.

“They seem like a really good group. I haven’t met anyone but Niall so far, but I have a feeling about them. I can’t really describe it, call it an omega’s intuition I guess, but I feel like they’re important. It feels like we’re tied together somehow,” Louis explained as he blew on the cocoa.

When Louis finished explaining what he knew about the group to Harry, his alpha leaned back in his chair and sighed. He had his thinking face on, brows furrowed, lip bitten, and a crease on his forehead. If he were standing, Louis was pretty sure he would be pacing.

Harry nodded to himself slowly and pulled his arms across his chest. “And Niall invited you to go see this camp?”

“Yeah, a week ago. That’s the day you found us. He’d been telling me so many stories about his friends and he’d mentioned wanting to introduce me to them for a few days but he suggested I talk to you before visiting his camp. He knew you would need to be onboard. Honestly, he’s the one that pushed me to be honest with you,” Louis admitted softly. “He’s a really good friend.”

Harry’s fingers pinched his lip and his other hand fiddled with the necklace hanging from his neck. “Okay.”

“’Okay’ what?”

“I think we should meet them.”

Louis stared at Harry in shock, his mug halfway to his mouth when he froze.

Harry tapped his foot against the floor and drummed his fingers on his chin. “We’ll both be armed, and we’re bringing Kayah as backup, but I think we should meet with them. If you’re sure that they’re good people then we can check it out. At this point, I think I just have to trust their judgement.”

Louis blinked before nodding hesitantly. “When?” He asked.

“Two days.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated, as always! Thank you, my lovelies!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took a few extra days to get this out! It's been a busy week!

In hindsight, Louis should’ve expected that things wouldn’t instantly go back to normal. He had been so excited to finally have his Harry back, that he hadn’t thought through the adjustment period his alpha would be going through. He hadn’t expected the morning and evening patrols to continue or the way his hackles would rise at even the smallest sounds. He didn’t expect the nightmares either.

It was clear that Harry was still plagued with the side effects of going feral and it broke Louis’ heart to see him struggle against the urge to fall back into his instincts. It only got worse as the morning of their visit crept up on them.

Louis was ripped from his sleep when a panicked gasp trembled in the air and the mattress quaked underneath him. In his incoherent state, he thought the damp sheets beneath him were from himself. With sluggish hands and blurry vision, Louis gave himself a once over, only to find that he was perfectly fine. It wasn’t until he blinked away the remnants of sleep that he realized it was all coming from Harry.

Beside him, Harry was shaking in a fetal position with his head buried in his hands and his fingers tugging at his sweaty curls.

“Harry,” Louis mumbled out, rubbing at his eyes with his palms. He wiggled closer to Harry and hugged around Harry’s arms and chest, unable to fully loop his arms around Harry with his petite frame.

He wasn’t a stranger to Harry’s nightmares. After being together for what Louis assumed was somewhere around a year, Louis knew how to handle the alpha when he was trapped in his own mind. He hated to see Harry like his, but he usually didn’t worry too much about them after he learned how to help his mate through them.

With the recent events, his only concern was of Harry falling into another feral state. He hardly knew anything about alphas in a feral state and to him, it seemed like a miracle that he had even been able to get Harry out of it once. He didn’t have a clue as to whether or not an alpha could fall more than once or if they become more susceptible to falling feral after it’s happened before, but he didn’t want to risk it.

Louis pressed his lips to Harry’s spine in a light brush of skin and skated his fingers up and down Harry’s arms. “Alpha, you’re okay,” he murmured. “Wake up, it’s just a dream.”

Beneath his lips, Harry’s spine flinched and jerked away from his soothing touch. It only spurred Louis on to hold onto him tighter, to anchor Harry’s body in hopes of bringing his mind back too. Harry’s body twitched as the alpha panted shallowly and whimpered under his breath. It was moments like this, when Harry was caught up in nightmares about his past or current trauma that had Louis wishing that counselors still existed. He knew his alpha would greatly benefit from having a professional to talk to about his mental health but he would just have to try his best on his own to help Harry through it and encourage him to find healing.

At some point, Louis had spaced out, his hand still petting over Harry’s bicep and his lips still pressed against his sweating back. He’d drifted into a daydream while purring softly to his mate. It had helped before, the soothing sound of an omega’s purr seemed to lull Harry into a much calmer state as he breathed in peaches and cloves. He had no idea how long they’d laid there, but somewhere along the line Harry’s breathing had slowed and the wrinkles around his squeezed eyelids had smoothed out when he was finally able to open his eyes.

Harry silently turned around in Louis’ arms and numbly gathered his omega up in his arms, his nose tucked into the crook of his neck and shoulder.

Louis allowed himself a small smile and combed his fingers through the mess of curls tickling his ear. “There you are, my love. Are you feeling better?” He asked softly and traced a heart with his fingertip over the scars on Harry’s back.

Curls brushed over his jaw as Harry nodded into his neck and let out an unsteady breath, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth like he’d been taught by his old counselor.

“I love you, Harry. I always will,” Louis promised and closed his eyes as they cuddled in bed. He could feel light flutters in his belly as their pup began to move. It was a feeling that Louis knew would never get old. It was the closest thing to magic, to feel the life that love had created moving inside him.

Harry’s breathing caught in his throat and his hands on Louis’ back pressed hard between his shoulders. “Was that?” He asked, pulling back to look at Louis with wide eyes.

Louis nodded. “They’re moving,” he hummed and looked down at his belly. “Wait,” he furrowed his brows. “Could you feel that?”

Harry’s head bobbed as he stared in awe down at the swell of his mate’s tummy. “Yeah,” he breathed. “Could feel it against my stomach. Do they always move like that, like they’re twitching?”

With a wide grin, Louis took Harry’s hand in his own and rested it on his belly. “Mhmm. Sometimes it’s a little bit more like a slow flutter. They’re pretty subtle now but I think in a few weeks the movements will be more noticeable and distinct.”

Under his palm Harry could feel the ever so gentle movements. It almost felt like muscles twitching but a little stronger. “This is amazing,” he whispered and bit his bottom lip as he grinned, his sole focus on where his hand was resting. His thumb stroked over the stretched skin and he could feel the rumble of Louis’ purring against his shoulder. “Lou, this is incredible. Like, that’s our pup in here. I just. You’re amazing. The fact that your body can actually grow this baby is just wow.”

Louis giggled. “Just wow?” He teased lightly, nuzzling his nose against Harry’s jaw. “You have such a way with words, Harry.”

With his free hand, Harry pinched Louis’ thick thigh and rolled his eyes fondly. “Shush. I’m sorry that you make me speechless,” he snorted with a teasing sarcasm dripping off his words. “Seriously, baby. You’re so strong and the things your body is created to do are just extraordinary. You astound me, my love.”

Under Harry’s careful gaze and soft touches, Louis couldn’t help but smile bashfully, his cheeks going warm as they pinked up. He shrugged and rubbed a circle over the spot the flutters were the strongest. “It’s not me that’s amazing. Little One is our miracle.”

Harry nodded and shimmied down the bed to nuzzle his nose against the soft skin of Louis’ tummy. “Yes, they are. Our little miracle,” he whispered and pressed a kiss to the pale lines that were just starting to appear from the stretching of Louis’ skin over his steadily growing belly.

Slowly, the flutters faded with each kiss and each whispered word from Harry. When Harry could no longer feel the gentle flickers under his touch, the alpha pouted and glanced up at Louis. “They stopped,” he mumbled and traced a finger down the center of Louis’ stomach, disappointment pulling down the corners of his lips.

“Their daddy’s voice must’ve bored them to sleep,” Louis laughed softly and scratched at Harry’s scalp. “I guarantee you they’ll start back up in an hour or two. Little One probably just tuckered themselves out with all that moving.”

Harry nodded hesitantly and pecked one more kiss to his belly before pulling away and leaning up to give Louis a kiss. “Love you endlessly.”

“Love you too, H. Now, your very pregnant mate is quite hungry and would really like some pancakes,” Louis giggled and winked playfully at the alpha before pushing at his shoulders.

“As you wish, my princess,” Harry hummed and rubbed his eyes before dragging himself from the comfortable shelter of blankets and pillows. As he stood, he scratched at the back of his neck and stretched his arms up above his head.

Louis couldn’t help but watch Harry’s flexing muscles, grinning to himself. He was so lucky. His alpha was exactly what he wanted and everything he didn’t know he needed. He loved the masculinity and strength that oozed out of his every pore and adored the softer side of his mate. Harry had noticed his wide smile, furrowing his brow in curiosity until Louis shrugged. “I just like ya,” Louis hummed.

“Truly a relief,” Harry laughed and pulled back the covers that were keeping Louis warm, almost too warm. “Do I need to carry you or does your Highness think they can walk to the kitchen?”

With pursed lips, Louis squinted and tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Well. I suppose I could trouble myself enough to travel to the kitchen on my own.” He smiled up at Harry and crawled out of bed with one hand on his tummy. Another hand found its way to the dip of Louis’ lower back as Harry guided Louis out of their bedroom and towards the kitchen to make them some breakfast.

Louis waited until they were both seated at the kitchen table to bring it up, pushing around the soggy pancakes through a pool of sugary syrup. “Harry?” He asked gently, chewing slowly as he watched his alpha shovel forkfuls into his mouth.

“Hmm?” Harry mused, licking his sticky lips and wiping at them with the back of his hand.

“This morning, you were having a nightmare,” Louis murmured. “Was it because of what we’re doing today?”

Harry paused, swallowing thickly around the lump of pancakes.

“I know you don’t like telling me about your dreams, but I don’t think it’s healthy for you to hide them.”

“I know,” Harry mumbled and poked at the ham on his plate. “I had a few of them last night. Most of them were about losing your or our pup,” he explained.

Louis nodded. “You know we’re going to be just fine, right? I know Niall well and I know that this isn’t a trap. I’m good at reading people and I know that I’m not wrong in reading him.”

A sigh puffed out between Harry’s lips and his eyes slipped shut. “I know. I just feel like I’m fighting every cell in my body to ignore my instincts to just take you and run. When I was gone for the last week I could feel anxiety and stress wearing on my body. It’s hard to explain, but it hurt physically to not be near you to protect you. That hasn’t fully gone away yet. I still feel a bit panicked every time you leave the cabin to work in the garden and when I can’t hear you in the cabin I start breaking out in cold sweats.”

Louis listened openly to his alpha explaining how he felt, nodding along sympathetically as he spoke. He could tell that it was still difficult for Harry, but it was good to hear him actually voice it and talk about it.

“The nightmares are the worst part. During the day, I can keep myself busy enough to avoid thinking about you getting hurt, but I can’t escape the dreams. In every one you get hurt and half of them end up in losing our pup. The idea of putting you both at risk and taking a chance on strangers makes me feel sick. I know that you have good feelings about this group but that doesn’t make it any easier for me to let you potentially be in danger,” Harry mumbled and wrung his fingers anxiously.

“Is there anything I can do to ease the stress on you? I hate that you can’t even sleep anymore because you’re scared of putting me in harm’s way.”

Harry chewed at the inside of his cheek, glancing up at Louis to look into those baby blues he loved so much. He’d never felt so out of control of himself than he had when he’d come back to his mind. When he was on the job, he prided himself on being rational and thinking everything through before he acted when there was an omega at risk involved. But with Louis in the picture and a baby on the way, all ability to stay cool and collected seemed to fly out the window. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “For today, it might be helpful to have you close to me. Your scent keeps me calm and I know I’m going to need someone to help me not go feral again with another alpha around. I’m not as worried about the betas, but I still don’t like the idea of them being close.”

Louis nodded eagerly and smiled gently. “I can do that. I’ll do what I can to help you.”

He meant it too. He would do anything to help Harry. He would give his life for Harry if it ever came to that.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Louis popped another carefully cut piece of pancake into his mouth. “Will you be ready to go once the dishes are done? Niall usually shows up to the creek around lunch time. It might be good to get there a little early so you can scope the place out, put yourself at ease maybe.”

It was clear that Harry was anxious, even if they hadn’t just had a conversation about it. Louis could see the way his knuckles turned white with how firmly he was holding his fork and his leg was bouncing rapidly, shaking the milk in Louis’ glass with the force of it. Though he didn’t like that nerves were the cause of it, Louis had to admit that he loved the flicker of muscle in Harry’s jaw as he clenched and unclenched the muscles there. He wanted to sit on his face. That would have to wait until another time though.

Harry’s lips pulled into a tight line as he nodded and finished off his mug of tea with a scrunch of his nose. “I hate tea. I miss coffee.”

Louis giggled and rolled his eyes. “Me too. But even if we had coffee I wouldn’t be able to have it. I’d have to wait until Little One wasn’t breast feeding anymore. But fuck, a warm and creamy latte sounds fabulous right about now,” he sighed wistfully and patted the bump.

A snort fluttered from Harry’s nose as he picked up both of their plates and brought them to the sink. “You can go ahead and take a shower, I’ll take care of the dishes.”

“Thank you, sweetie,” Louis hummed and pressed a chaste kiss to Harry’s cheek before turning on his heel and waltzing towards the bathroom for a steaming hot shower to loosen the muscles in his lower back that were only just starting to bother him.

Harry watched his boy go with the corners of his mouth twitching upwards and his eyes gaze following Louis until he was out of sight. He let out a breath in a shaky stream and gripped the edge of the counter. “It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay,” he chanted to himself in a voice barely above a whisper.

The ride to the creek was just as beautiful as Louis remembers it being. Above their heads, the leaves were rustling in the breeze and Louis could hear the birds calling back and forth as they flit from limb to limb. Beneath their horses, a mouse scampered away from the heavy hooves and a prowling Kayah whose nose was glued to the ground as she trotted along behind them.

He hoped Harry could enjoy their ride as well, but when Louis looked over Harry was still grabbing onto the stock of his shotgun with white knuckles. Sweat was gathered on his brow and forming droplets in the crease between his brows, slowly slipping down the slope of his nose and dropping off the tip of his nose. If Louis didn’t know Harry so well, he’d think he was just a very attractive alpha brooding on top of a horse. He could tell just from the stiffness between his shoulders and the frown lines next to his mouth that anxiety was coursing through him.

When they first set off, Louis had attempted to make conversation but it seemed like Harry wasn’t at all interested in talking. It didn’t matter whether Louis was talking about fruits and vegetables he wanted to try growing next year or attempting to ask Harry about his favorite bands, every time Harry hummed absently and darted his gaze around to the surrounding trees. After half an hour Louis gave up on chatting and settled for enjoying the sounds and sights that belonged on one of those meditation playlists.

Louis could recognize a grove of birch trees as soon as they came into sight. The four trees stood in a cross formation and the dandelions that grew thick between the trunks were like pops of sunshine. Next would be the fallen pine with moss covering the rotting bark like the softest, plushest carpet money could buy. After many rides to meet with Niall, Louis had learned the area well and felt a sense of peace as they neared their destination.

Harry, however, seemed like he was just a few seconds away from losing his shit. Louis knew it was probably taking every ounce of self-control to not grab onto Libby’s reins and run as far away as Harry could get them.

With this in mind, Louis shifted his weight on Libby’s back to get her to sidle up next to Jackson and Harry, close enough that Louis’ foot could touch Harry’s. He offered Harry a reassuring smile and reached over to squeeze his thigh. “It’s okay.”

Harry nodded stiffly and patted the back of Louis’ hand as he focused on breathing in through his nose, holding it, and letting it out through his parted lips.

Louis made sure to stay close to Harry as they stopped next to the creek, the tip of his boot touching Harry’s heel. Excitement was bubbling in his tummy and he had to hold himself back from bouncing up and down eagerly. He had missed his friend and he couldn’t wait to get to see him again and even introduce him to Harry. Once Harry got past his initial paranoia and grumpiness, Louis was sure he and Niall would get along well.

He watched Harry scanning the area with his eyes squinted against the sun and his chest moving up and down with the calming breaths he was forcing himself to take. It was clear in moments like this that Harry used to be a police officer. His critical gaze and attention to detail picked up on every shake of a leaf or snap of a twig. Meanwhile, Louis had nothing he could do except to wait for Harry and allow him to take his time getting comfortable in their setting.

He couldn’t be sure how long they sat there on horseback, but the sun seemed higher in the sky, its rays shining down on them and warming Louis’ skin through his tank and making his legs hot under the thick material of his leggings. Harry seemed to be calmer now, though his back went as straight as a rod when the sound of feet stumbling through leaves reached their ears.

Harry’s hand instantly went to the shotgun in his leather scabbard, pulling it out and resting it across the horn of the saddle, ready to use it should he be put in a position to need to protect Louis. Energy was thrumming in his veins and his ears buzzed as he narrowed his eyes at the thin beta that swore as he batted away a pine bough in his path.

Louis grinned when the beta came into sight and bit back an excited squeal as Niall froze in his footsteps when he realized there was a gun on him. “Um. Hi,” Niall said carefully, glancing over at Louis with nervous eyes. It’s not like he hadn’t had a gun pointed at him before, but surprising an alpha with a pregnant omega was about as dangerous as getting in between a mother bear and her cub.

“Harry, this is my friend Niall. Niall, this is my alpha Harry,” Louis introduced with a voice soft as silk in an effort to soothe his alpha and keep him relaxed.

Niall a hand in an awkward wave, his eyes widening as Harry glared at him and gripped the gun tighter at the sudden movement. “Sorry,” he cringed and kept both hands in Harry’s line of sight.

Harry stared Niall down, taking in every detail he could gather from Niall’s scrawny appearance and subtly scenting the air to pick up on the beta’s neutral scent.

Louis bit back the urge to roll his eyes and reached over to brush his hand over Harry’s back. “It’s okay, Alpha. Can we get down and meet him?”

He watched as Harry swallowed thickly and allowed himself to break his stare at Niall to glance over at his omega. Louis nodded and smiled reassuringly. “He’s good. He’s alone and unarmed.”

A huff burst from Harry’s lips. “Okay,” he grunted and reluctantly lowered the gun back to the scabbard. Tense waves of burnt sugar radiated off his skin as he and Louis dismounted their horses, his arms immediately reaching out to pull Louis closer as the omega shivered with the desire to run over to his friend.

Niall patiently waited as Harry rubbed his nose over Louis’ neck and spread his scent over the boy. He was used to seeing this behavior with Liam and Zayn, especially when Zayn was fresh out of heat and still had the remnants of heat hormones pumping through his body.

When Harry walked over to Niall, he drew himself to his full height with his chest out and his green eyes staring holes into the beta. Harry was definitely showing off to intimidate Niall but Louis wasn’t sure it would be successful. Niall was just a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. His point was only proven when Niall stuck his hand out and grinned up at Harry.

Harry raised his brows and cleared his throat, accepting Niall’s handshake and squeezing his hand hard to show off his strength.

“Harry, knock it off,” Louis snorted and rolled his eyes before brushing past his alpha to pull Niall in for a hug. “Hey Nialler, I missed you,” he hummed against Niall’s dirt-covered t-shirt.

“Missed you too, kid. How’s the peanut doing?” Niall asked and patted Louis’ back before pulling away under the watchful eye of the alpha.

Louis giggled and smoothed his hand over his belly. “They’re good, moving around a little more now.”

“May I?” Niall asked, glancing at both Harry and Louis for permission. Upon receiving an uncertain nod from the alpha, he stepped closer and reached out to feel the swell of Louis’ stomach. He probed at the swollen belly and closed his eyes to focus on his hands. It felt odd to Louis, to feel someone’s hands poking and prodding at him like Niall was. After a few moments of concentration, Niall pulled away with a wide grin. “Well, they seem to be doing great! From what I can tell, your pup seems to be growing well. You said you thought you were around twenty-four weeks along?”

With a nod, Louis reached back for Harry’s hand and squeezed. “I think so. I might be more than that but I can’t be sure. We don’t exactly know when I conceived,” he admitted.

Niall squinted and tapped his finger against the dimple on his chin. “Do you have a birth plan yet?” When Louis shook his head, Niall bit his bottom lip and rubbed at the rough hair on his cheek. “I’d be happy to talk Harry through the birthing process. I could give Harry advice on how to help you along and what to do if something goes awry.”

Louis looked up at Harry and nodded. “I’d be okay with that if Harry’s alright with it too.”

“Maybe,” Harry conceded and pulled Louis into his side. “But we have plenty of time to talk about that some other day. Are we going to go to this campsite or what?”

“Of course! Come on!” Niall chuckled in a loud honking cackle, clapping his hands as he backed towards the edge of the woods the way he came.

The campsite is pretty much exactly how Louis had imagined it.

After what felt like hours of following Niall’s slow pace and giggling every time Harry shot him an amused look at Niall’s constant chatter, they finally came to a halt next to a grove of young maple trees. There was a thin line of smoke that was barely visible wafting through the air and disappearing above the trees, the only sign that there was human life in the area.

Niall had shown them where they could tie up the horses and cackled when Kayah barked and let out little howls as she ran in circles around the three of them. His easy-going small talk never ceased as he led them behind a row of thick lilac bushes that were nearly five feet taller than even Harry. They created the perfect shelter from prying eyes and left the sweet smell of lilacs heavy in the air.

Past the hedge of bushes lay four tents in varying colors and ages gathered around a crackling campfire in the center of their little hideaway. The biggest one was muddy and had a broken zipper that left the fabric that acted as a door flapping in the wind and there was a woman with beautiful dark skin who seemed like she was in her forties sitting in the entrance, staring at them with a thin stick and homemade twine dangling in her hands.

Next to the big tent was a smaller yellow tent and a blue tent on either side that were both shut. On the other side of the campfire was a simple gray tent, though Louis could spot through the mesh paneling at the top that there was a dreamcatcher or hanging mobile of some sort hanging in the center.

In between the big tent and the yellow tent was a wire that ran from the top poles, creating a makeshift clothesline where a few rags and worn out t-shirts were swaying back and forth with the breeze. It seemed like it would peaceful if it weren’t for the obvious tension that was surrounding their site. Louis’ attention was immediately turned to a taller, lean but muscular man that emerged from behind one of the hanging sheets with what looked like a spear in his hand.

Beside him, Harry visibly stiffened and twitched his hand towards the leather holster that held a pistol and Kayah lowered her head and glared at the stranger. Louis reached over and wiggled his hand into Harry’s other and made a small noise in his throat to reassure his mate. “Breathe, Harry. I’m right here with you and we’re both safe,” he whispered so only Harry could hear.

“You must be Louis and Harry,” the man announced, subtly extending himself to make his frame as big and intimidating as possible.

Louis nodded as Harry pulled him closer and eyed the man. “That’s us. I’m assuming you must be the alpha then?” Harry spoke, his voice rough and almost a growl rumbling in his chest.

The tall man bobbed his head slowly and took a few steps closer until he was right next to the fire, but still keeping distance between them. “It’s Liam,” he hummed and assessed the two strangers with their tamed wolf standing on the outskirts of their campsite.

Louis took the opportunity to glance around at the rest of the camp. The woman in front of the tent had risen to her feet and was now standing with her hands on her hips and a man Louis hadn’t noticed before moved to stand next to her. He looked to be Hispanic and his jet black hair was cut sloppily, like he’d been the victim of a bad haircut that was only cut out of necessity. Neither one of them seemed to be an omega, or at least not that Louis could tell just by appearances and he couldn’t catch the sweeter smell of an omega on them.

“Right, well, this is fucking awkward,” Niall laughed, disrupting the staring contest that was going on between Harry and Liam. “How about we all just sit down and Harry can stop looking like he’s about to either piss his pants or kill someone?”

Louis had to physically bite his tongue to keep from laughing, though he couldn’t hide his amusement from Harry, who looked down at him and rolled his eyes.

With an elbow to the ribs, Harry dropped his hand from his holster and ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. “Sorry,” he mumbled, snapping his fingers at Kayah to stop her growling.

“It’s alright. You’re lucky Niall is so persistent, otherwise, you’d never have stepped foot in our camp. I’m not exactly all that comfortable with strangers knowing where we live,” Liam hummed and looked up, nostrils flaring.

Louis followed Liam’s gaze and noticed a thin young man with black hair emerging from behind the lilac bushes with a rabbit in his hand.

“Oh, hi,” The man hummed, holding up the rabbit. “I brought lunch.”

When he brushed past Louis, ginger and sage followed with the scent that was distinctly omega. Louis watched as he walked up to Liam and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek before plopping down next to the fire.

“Hi,” Louis said shyly, his hands going to his belly to rub it. “I’m Louis. You must be Zayn?”

The omega nodded, pulling out a knife and working on slicing into the belly of the dead rabbit. “Yup.”

Louis nodded and nipped at a bit of dry skin on his lip. “I um. I brought some stuff for you all. Just some veggies and stuff,” he offered. When Zayn hardly even spared him a glance, he furrowed his brows and looked up at Harry in confusion, receiving a shrug.

Niall stepped closer to Louis and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “Sorry, Zayn isn’t very social. He’s slow to warm up to new people. Give him some time.”

If there was anything Louis hated more than being ignored, he had yet to discover it. As an omega, he was already inclined to enjoy receiving attention but even from a young pup he had always loved being the center of attention and having plenty of friends and family to play with or joke around with. He didn’t like being brushed off so easily, especially by another omega.

“Thank you,” Liam spoke up, standing next to Zayn and brushing his fingers through his tangled black hair. “We appreciate your generosity.”

As Harry slipped his arm around Louis and led him closer to the fire, Louis began pulling a few carrots, potatoes, and apples out of his knapsack. He’d wanted to bring them a few rolls of bread as well, but Harry had insisted they not bring anything that would suggest they had a settlement of sorts. He had also asked Louis and Niall to not mention they had a cabin. The last thing they needed was this group to follow them home and try to take over their home.

The woman walked over and held out her hand to Harry first, the corner of her full lips quirking up into a smirk. “I’m Melissa, the brains of this operation,” she introduced and shook Harry’s hand when he offered it hesitantly.

“Harry,” the alpha spoke in response. “This is my mate Louis.”

As the woman then turned to Louis, the other man took his turn introducing himself to Harry.

“Hi, nice to meet you,” Louis greeted with a small smile and let her shake his hand as well before the man who introduced himself as Amil stepped in front of him. “Hi there.”

“Hi. It’s great to meet you. What a nice change to have someone not try to kill us,” Amil joked and patted the back of Louis’ hand before letting go and taking his seat next to Melissa.

Louis giggled and nodded, squeezing Harry’s hand before stepping closer to the quiet omega across the fire with Kayah hot on his heels. “Um. I brought potatoes. I thought we could wrap them in tinfoil and maybe have baked potatoes with the rabbit you brought?”

He received a silent shrug from Zayn and frowned as he wordlessly took the potatoes from Louis and set them straight into the fire pit.

“Oh, um-“

“We don’t have tinfoil.”

Louis blushed and nodded, worrying at his bottom lip as he set the other food down and returned to Harry’s side. Before, he had had omega friends that weren’t outgoing but this was something he’d not really dealt with. This omega seemed to have absolutely no interest in him and brushed him off like he was a pesky fly. He didn’t like it.

Harry’s arm snaked around his waist when he sat next to him and pulled Louis closer so their thighs were pressed together and Louis could catch Harry’s scent that snuck into his nostrils and soothed his frustration.

“So, Harry and Louis,” Liam began, wiping dirt off his hands and onto his worn-out cargo shorts. “Niall’s told us a bit about you two but I’d like to hear it from you. What did you do before all of this?”

The attention of everyone, except for Zayn, turned to the two outsiders. Amil seemed hopeful and excited, Melissa looked a bit bored but still interested, Liam was hesitantly curious, and Niall was just grinning like an idiot.

“I was a police officer in Chicago,” Harry hummed and pet his fingers through Kayah’s fur when she settled down next to him. Throughout the stilted introductions, she had been prowling around the group with her nose twitching and her hackles raised. Having Harry’s large hand sweeping down her back reassured her that she didn’t need to worry about these strangers and after just a few seconds she rolled over onto her side for a good belly rub.

Louis smiled at Kayah and rested both of his palms on his belly, rubbing circles where he could feel their pup fluttering. “I wanted to be a dancer but I couldn’t afford it. I had to drop out of school before things went south.”

As they went around the circle sharing what they had done before the pandemic had broken out, Louis kept his eye on Zayn. He couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but for some reason, the other omega was fascinating to him. Perhaps it was his constant desire to be liked by everyone or maybe it was because he’d never seen an omega as cold as Zayn seemed to be. Louis watched him gut and prepare the rabbit before laying the meat over what looked like a wheel cover from a car resting on top of hot coals. Louis had to admit, he admired the ingenuity that this group seemed to portray. He supposed if he had been in a similar position with no other option but to try to find a way to survive without the comfort of their cabin, he probably would’ve had to develop a lot of creative problem-solving.

Soon the smell of roasting meat filled the air and Louis could actually hear the sound of Niall’s stomach growling from where he was sitting next to him. Not for the first time, Louis felt incredibly guilty. Here he was, completely healthy and well-fed with a roof over his head and the person he was closest too aside from Harry was thin as a rail and covered in dirt from exposure to the elements. He longed to offer to take Niall and maybe his group back with them to feed them a filling meal and let them all take as long as they wanted in the shower. But he couldn’t.

Niall got to his feet and skirted around the fire to where Zayn was cooking up the rabbit and grabbed a few plastic plates and a cutting board. When the rabbit was done, Niall placed a little bit of meat and one of the baked potatoes along with some veggies on each plate. He handed out the plates of food to each of his group and then passed the cutting board with two servings on it to Louis and Harry. “You’ll have to rough it, lads. We only have five plates. We don’t normally have guests over for dinner,” he joked and plopped back down next to Louis.

“That’s alright.” Harry shrugged and ripped into his potato with his bare hands, apparently, they didn’t bother with silverware so neither would Harry or Louis.

They ate in silence for a little while, the meat and potatoes messily eaten with grubby hands, and juices from the meat were sucked off their fingers. They ate like they were starving.

Louis ducked his head and swallowed drily around a mouthful of potato. It was difficult, to watch Niall’s group eat like they hadn’t had more than a can of beans in months while he’d had pancakes, French toast, and even pasta in the last week. He realized just how good he and Harry had it in their little oasis and it made him a little sick to his stomach.

Unable to eat more, Louis licked his fingers clean and glanced at Niall, who was nearly done with his food. “I’m full. Did you want mine, Niall?” He asked quietly.

His heart nearly broke when Niall’s eyes widened in shock and his mouth fell open. “You don’t want it?”

“I just can’t eat much more,” Louis whispered and rubbed his hands over his belly.

Niall grabbed the half potato that was left along with the few bites of meat and scooped them onto his own plate before shoving a handful of potato into his mouth with a happy groan. Louis watched as his eyes fluttered shut and he licked up every bit of potato from his plate when he finished off his meat and sucked the meat off the bones greedily.

“Fuck, that was good,” Niall hummed happily and reclined to lay on his back with a hand patting his distended stomach. “I can’t remember the last time I felt this full,” he said blissfully.

“Tell me about it!” Amil laughed happily and finished licking off his plate. “Those potatoes were amazing.”

Louis had to suck his bottom lip between his teeth and bite down to keep it from wobbling, his fingers threading through the thick fur on Kayah’s back.

“Is nobody going to ask about the wolf? Because I’ve been waiting hours for someone to tell me how you guys just have a wolf following you around,” Amil hummed, glancing over at Kayah who was chewing on rabbit bones.

Niall snorted out a laugh and smacked his knee as he rocked back and forth, his thin body shaking with laughter. The tension that had been building between everyone relaxed as the group let out soft chuckles and all glanced in the wolf’s direction. Even Harry found himself chuckling quietly as he looked to his companion, smiling as she looked around in confusion like she knew everyone was talking about her.

“I guess we didn’t really introduce her earlier,” Louis hummed and scratched behind her ears. “This is Kayah. I found her in a bog next to her mother’s remains and knew we had to take her home.”

“Yeah, he was just about ready to smack me after I refused to let him bring her home. I didn’t think inviting a wolf into a chicken coup would be a good idea,” Harry chuckled and patted her back.

“I was practically on my knees begging Harry to let me bring her and then for weeks he pretended like he didn’t even like her,” Louis scoffed and rolled his eyes playfully. “Then when I got sick with some pretty bad morning sickness he and Kayah bonded. The first time I caught them cuddling I nearly lost my mind.”

Harry rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hide his smile as he wrapped an arm around Louis’ shoulders and kissed the top of his head. “Yeah, yeah. I have a soft spot, whatever.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll still keep ya,” Louis teased and poked Harry’s ribs, giggling softly as he pressed closer.

“Mhmm,” Harry hummed, turning his attention back to the group that was watching them.

“So Louis, how far along are you?” Melissa asked.

Next to him, Harry froze and glared at the clueless beta. “Harry, it’s fine,” Louis whispered and squeezed his hand comfortingly. “I’m not sure. I think around five months, but I can’t be sure.” He shifted, playing with Harry’s fingers as Melissa studied his features and stared at his belly.

“You know, I haven’t seen a baby in years,” she mused, biting into one of the apples Louis had brought and brushing her fingers over her tightly coiled hair. “None of us have, I’m pretty sure. Not many people are all too focused on getting knocked up.”

A low growl rumbled in Harry’s chest at her brash words. “Watch your tone,” he snarled and gripped the stock of his gun.

“Harry,” Louis warned and reached up to caress his stubble-covered cheek. “It’s fine.” With a fake, sickly sweet smile, Louis turned to face Melissa and rubbed over his bump. “For the record, getting ‘knocked up’ is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. This baby is a miracle and we’re going to need miracles in order to create a future.”

His response was shrugged off with a dismissive wave of the hand and then Melissa was turning her attention to Amil. Louis didn’t like her very much. Niall had talked about her before, and she always had sounded a bit uppity and seemed to think of herself as better than everyone else because of her expansive knowledge.

Louis could feel his nostril twitch with the urge to scowl at the beta, but he schooled his expression and looked back to his alpha. Harry was already watching him, his brows knit together and his nose twitching as he picked up on his omega’s annoyed scent.

His eyes narrowed minutely as if asking if Louis was okay. It was like they had their own language. Louis had always been a reader, but Harry was his favorite book. Each wrinkle between his brows, purse of the lips, and twitch of the nose were as easy to read as a billboard. At least to Louis he was. Louis ducked his head in a nod and pressed closer to his alpha, forever grateful for his warmth.

Their first visit had been brief. Going into it, Louis had known it was more of an introductory meeting than anything else. His main goal had just been to let Harry get to know Niall and his group for a few hours to get a feel for the dynamics of their group.

By the time they were ready to leave, Louis could feel the tension that had built up in Harry’s body and left his back strained and stiff from sitting in such a dominant stance. The ride home was quiet, not much more noise than the sound of Libby and Jackson navigating the overgrown trails and Kayah’s occasional barks. After a long day, it was nice to soak in the tranquility of nature around them and not have to worry about making conversation. Instead, he could focus on processing the entire day.

Overall, he felt fairly good about their visit. It’s not like they were all suddenly best friends but it was nice to meet everyone and finally put some faces to the stories Niall had told him every time they had gotten together. He only wished he had been able to find some time alone with Niall to get to explain to him what had happened over the last week and a half. He still felt horrible for not being able to give Niall a head’s up but he knew he couldn’t reveal what Harry had gone through to anyone else yet. If Liam had heard that Harry had gone feral for a week, he most likely wouldn’t let Louis or Harry come anywhere close to their group again. Feral alphas were incredibly dangerous, as they had all learned.

He could only hope that he would be able to pull Niall aside next time they visited the camp to get to apologize and explain himself. They had agreed with Liam that they would be paying them another visit in a few days to give Niall’s group a chance to talk things through and discuss how they had felt the day had gone. Louis had a feeling they had also thought it went well, but he’d maybe try to meet up with Niall once more at the creek the next day. Maybe he could explain Harry’s condition then.

When they arrived home, Louis quietly assisted Harry in untacking the horses and feeding them their dinner before they retired to the safety and comfort of their cabin. The guilt Louis had felt earlier as they had eaten with Niall’s group lingered as his gaze fell on the comfortable couch and armchair tucked away in their living room or the clean dishes stacked nicely next to a freshly baked loaf of bread from this morning. He and Harry lived with so much while Niall and the other four somehow survived with much less.

Harry’s hand soon found his, encasing his delicate fingers in his own calloused ones as he led the omega towards the bathroom. His green eyes softened as he gazed down at Louis, that crease between his brows disappearing, and his back relaxing as he finally allowed his guard to come down.

“Bath?” Louis questioned.

Harry nodded his head and nuzzled his nose against Louis’ temple as the boy began to kick off his leggings, a huff blowing hot air on his skin as Harry pouted when Louis stepped away to run the hot water.

“Oh, hush. You’re fine, you big bad alpha,” Louis whispered teasingly, no real malice behind his words at all. It was adorable how clingy Harry could be at times. So often society liked to pretend that omegas were the clingy ones that needed constant affection but an alpha in a good relationship was just as needy. Louis loved it. He adored how Harry would pout when he moved away before Harry had his fill of cuddles, or how Harry would make grabby hands at him from their bed, or how Harry would look at him when he rubbed the swell of his belly.

Harry’s lower lip pouted out even further as Louis tossed in a bit of coconut oil and a few dried wildflower leaves into the swirling hot water. “But I like when you’re close. Today was a lot. I just need my Omega snuggles.”

Fuck, Louis’ heart was practically melting everywhere. “You’ll get them, babe. As soon as you take off your clothes that are tracking dirt all through my house,” he chastised playfully with a tug to Harry’s shirt.

Just like that, Harry began yanking off his clothes starting with his shirt and working his way down until he was naked and a pile of dirty clothes lay strewn across the floor in heaps. He nudged at Louis and helped him ease out of his own clothing, taking much more care and time to rid Louis of his shirt, panties, and socks.

The instant hot water lapped at his skin, Louis winced but slowly lowered himself into the steaming pool of water, his own body adjusting to the hot temperature. With Harry behind him, Louis scooted back until his back was to Harry’s chest and his head was resting on his alpha’s shoulder. This was one of his absolute favorite places in the world. There was something so beautiful and lovely about being cradled by his mate in a toasty bath full of warm water and the scent of peaches, pine, and wildflowers twisting on the curls of steam. It was heaven.

With a happy sigh, Harry relaxed and rolled his shoulders as he got comfortable, feeling each and every knot in his muscles seemingly melt away.

“So how do you think today went?” Louis asked, closing his eyes and resting both hands on his belly.

Though he couldn’t see him, Louis knew what face Harry was making. It was his thinking face that he always got when he was trying to find just the right words to express himself and he was taking his time to truly understand how he was feeling.

“I think it went alright. I can’t say for sure yet, but I think the next meeting will give me a better idea of what the group’s intentions are. I know you’re great with first impressions, but I’m still not entirely sure about them. Liam seems like a pretty typical alpha, if not a little more kind. Niall’s a good guy and so is Amil. Not sure how I feel about Zayn yet but I know there’s something about Melissa that annoys me. She seems a little full of herself, I guess,” Harry hummed, his hands fitting over Louis’.

“I agree. Niall’s told me she can be like that at times. Apparently, she thinks she’s hot shit just because she’s smart and had an important job. I don’t know,” Louis sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think Zayn likes me very much either.”

“Why do you say that?”

Louis huffed out an indignant laugh. “Because he spent half the day ignoring me and the other half looking at me like he was disgusted by me.”

“He did not,” Harry interrupted, trying to defend the other omega.

“Yes, he did. I know it’s a bit stereotypical, but most omegas get along with other omegas. It’s hardwired in us to get along with each other and bonds between omegas are usually super strong. In school, I even formed a mini pack with a few of my omega friends and all of our friends would joke about how we were always with each other. It’s natural for us to be drawn to other omegas and having Zayn just blow me off just feels weird,” Louis mumbled, trying his hardest to keep the frown off his face.

“Aww, baby. I’m sure he’s just hesitant to get to know you. This was only the first time he met you, and you have to keep in mind his alpha was also giving off some major protective pheromones. Just give it time,” Harry hummed.

Louis shrugged and sighed as he sank lower into the water. “I do feel bad though. I know they’re doing okay and they’re surviving, but I feel bad that we live so comfortably and they have to sleep in tents, only get to bathe once a week, and eat off of old plates they probably found in another abandoned campsite. Seeing Niall look at that measly meal with so much joy and happiness made me sick. I just want to help them and see them thrive, not just get by day to day on small rodents or an old can of beans. It breaks my heart.”

Harry’s response didn’t come right away. He waited as he dragged his fingers over Louis’ belly and pressed his lips against the side of Louis’ head. Louis thought maybe Harry wouldn’t respond at all until Harry took a deep breath and let it back out with a sigh. “I know it’s hard, baby. It’s hard to watch others go hungry. I know you want to bring them here but we can’t. We know hardly anything about this group and for all we know, they could just be leading us on to come here and take over our home. We can’t risk losing the one safe place we’ve built for our pup.”

It was true, Louis knew it was. He was aware that they didn’t really know Liam, Zayn, Amil, or Melissa. Hell, he barely could say he knew Niall all that well. Sure, they were close and Niall was the closest thing he had to a best friend, but that didn’t mean he knew everything about the beta. It just sucked, to know that Harry was right and they couldn’t help the others.

“We can still bring them food when we visit if that makes you feel better,” Harry offered. “That might be the best we can do for now.”

Louis nodded and let his shoulders sag in defeat. “I know.”


End file.
